Thermal Pollution
Causes, Effects, and Solutions
What is Thermal Pollution?
It is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature
Causes:
- Water that is used as a coolant in factories being returned to the natural habitat at a different temperature. (Warmer water)
- Urban runoff--storm water discharged to surface waters from roads and parking lots. (Warmer water)
- The release of cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers (Colder water)
- Removal of trees along the shore line increases solar incidence
Effects
- Sudden and peroiodic increase in temperature producing a thermal effect
- Changed dissolved oxygen
- Distribution of organisms among major and minor communities.
- Death of steno hermic animals
- Changes to reproductive powers and increased susceptibility to disease.
- changes in migration time and pattern may be affected.
- Decrease in productivity of the water body.
Solutions
- Construction of cooling ponds --artificial water bodies for cooling due to radiation, convection and radiation.
- Construction of cooling towers for radiation.
- Use cogeneration where the heat is recycled.
- Replant trees