Thermal / Heat Pollution

Is the act of altering the temperature of a natural water body, which may be a river, lake

or ocean environment. This condition chiefly arises from the

waste heat generated by an industrial process.

Thermal / Heat Pollution

Major Sources of Thermal pollution

Fossil-fueled electric power plants

Nuclear-fueled electric power-generating facilities

Cooling operations associated with industrial manufacturing

Earth’s surface temperature

Carbon Dioxide as product of combustion adding to the greenhouse gases

Hot water vapor

Effects of Thermal Pollution

Ecological imbalance resulting in major fish kills near the discharge

source

Accelerates chemical-biological

processes

Decreases the ability of the water to hold

dissolved oxygen

Thermal changes affect the aquatic system by

limiting or changing the type of fish that grow and reproduce in water

Contributes to greenhouse effect that

results in global warming