A field trip was made to various sites to

study water pollution. The objective of this trip

was to study point and non-point sources of

water pollution & to study the several physical

and chemical parameters of polluted water.

Environmental

Biology Report of field tour

Submitted to:

Sir Razi Abbas Shamsi Sumitted by:

Jannat Iftikhar B11-16 5th semester

Department of Botany

CONTENTS

Objectives of field trip

Places visited 1. Gulshan Ravi pumping station, Lahore.

2. Kala shah kaku industrial state

3. Sheikhupura industrial area

Introduction

Material required

Sampling method

Description of the sites

a. Gulshan ravi pumping station

b. Ittehad chemicals LTD.

c. Degh canal

d. Ravi rayon LTD.

e. Dawood Hercules LTD.

f. Epcot leather industry

Observation

Results

Discussion

OBJECTIVES OF THE FIELD TRIP:

The main objectives of this tour were as follows.

To study point and non-point sources of water pollution.

To understand the sampling method for research purposes.

To detect and identify different type of pollutants present in the water.

To observe that how municipal waste water is treated preliminary to remove the

floating waste before its disposal into the water streams?

To observe the quality of waste water.

To understand that what are the various physical and chemical parameters of

waste water.

To understand the impacts of water pollution on the surrounding environment.

To know the quality of waste released from different industries.

THE PLACES VISITED:

Gulshan Ravi pumping station, Lahore.

Kala shah kaku industrial state

I. Ittehad chemicals LTD.

II. Degh canal

III. Ravi rayon LTD.

Sheikhupura industrial area

i. Epcot leather industry

ii. Dawood Hercules chemicals

INTRODUCTION:

An excursion was made by our class in the supervision of Dr. Razi Abbas Shamsi to

various industrial sites. The purpose of this trip was to provide the students, experience

and observation other than their daily activities. The significance of this trip was that the

students could get more ideas to carry out their research work. To get new aspects on

which research can be carried out.

As we are studying Water Pollution and its Management and Control so it was

necessary to observe source and practices which are used to control water pollution.

The aim is also to understand the preliminary treatment of the sewage waste before its

disposal into the water bodies.

Our 1st site was Gulshan Ravi Pumping Station; here 70% sewage waste of Lahore is

treated before its disposal into the Ravi River. Our 2nd site was kala shah kaku industrial

state. Here we collected the effluents of Ittehad chemicals and fresh water of Ravi

rayon. Then we drove to the Sheikhupura road, the 2nd industrial area of Punjab. Here

we collected the effluents of a leather industry, Epcot. Our 2nd site in Sheikhupura was

Dawood Hercules. Effluents were collected from here then we drove back to Lahore.

Some physical parameters were noted at the spot i.e. pH, temperature, smell, color and

turbidity of the water and then water was brought to the laboratory to carry out the

chemical analysis of this effluent.

MATERIAL REQUIRED:

1.5 litre plastic bottles

pH paper

Thermometer

Bucket

Marker

Funnel

SAMPLING METHOD:

1.5 litre bottles were taken and marked according to the site.

Water was collected in a bucket then was poured into the bottle with the help of

funnel.

3 bottles were collected from each site as a sample.

Some parameters were observed at the site i.e. pH, turbidity, smell and

temperature.

Then water samples were brought to the laboratory to carry out the tests to

detect the presence of nitrates, carbonates, and other chemicals in these water

samples.

Water was store at cold and dark place to lower the possibility of reactions of

chemicals in that polluted water.

DISCRIPTION OF THE SITES: I. GULSHAN RAVI PUMPING STATION LAHORE:

In Lahore, this pumping station is responsible for treatment of 70% of the sewage waste

from different areas of Lahore. This pumping station works under WASA (water and

sanitation agency). Here sewage water is treated to remove the large floating material

from the water and then this is disposed of, with the help of pumps, outside the city in

Ravi River. There were two main wet wells that receive the water from all over the city.

Then this water is passed through the screens for removal of floating material. Here

physical management is done by the peoples who collect the waste material from the

screens. There were 14 pumps, two were functional, that pumps the water and throws it

in streams, from here water is thrown into the river.

1. Main wet well 2.screens for removal of floating waste

LIST OF THE MATERIAL PRESENT IN SEWAGE WATER:

Leaves and branches of trees

Wood pieces

Plastic bags

Disposable plastic bottles

Ashes

Wrappers

Dust particles

Papers

Rags

Kitchen garbage

Burnt material

Waste present in sewage water at Gulshan Ravi Pumping Station

ii. ITTEHAD CHEMICALS LTD. :

Ittehad Chemicals LTD. is one of the companies that produce caustic soda liquid. It

is a publically listed chemical manufacturing company in Pakistan. Its effluents are

discharged into the Degh canal through various point sources.

Effluents of Ittehad chemicals released in water way a (point source)

iii. Degh canal:

Degh canal serves as main conduit for irrigation water in Punjab. Its origin is in India.

It flows through several areas of Punjab and falls into Ravi. In Kala Shah Kaku it

passes near Ittehad chemicals, Ravi rayon and several other industries that

discharge their effluents into it. There is a railway track near ittehad chemicals; on

one side of the track water is polluted due to the effluents. Whereas, on other side of

the railway track water is fresh. Peoples were there, they were fishing in that polluted

water.

Polluted water of Degh canal

iv. Ravi rayon LTD.

Ravi rayon is one of the fabrics synthetic in Lahore, located in Kala Shah Kaku. On

opposite side of the ittehad chemicals, from other side effluents of ravi rayon were

collected. It was the site of polluted water, with highly concentrated with organic

and in organic materials. That’s why the colour of water was so dark as i t looks

black, with highlt pungent smell. It open with the help of an outlet in the polluted

water lake of nala Degh.

v. Dawood Hercules LTD.

It is a large manufacturer company of urea fertilizer in Pakistan under the brand

name, Babber Sher. The company was founded in 1971, and its plant is located

near Sheikhupura, about 28km from Lahore.

vi. Epcot leather industry:

It is a leather industry near Sheikhupura. Its effluents are also released through

several point sources in Degh canal. Water samples were also collected from here.

Observations:

(Sources of water pollution)

i. Point sources:

Point source s of water pollution refers to the contaminant that enters into the water

ways through a large identifiable source. Such sources include sewage plant, factory

or a city storm drain. During our tour various point sources were observed. They

were as follows; Gulshan Ravi pumping station, effluent from ittehad chemicals,

Epcot industry and Dawood Hercules, these are some of the point sources of water

pollution.

ii. Non-point sources:

Non-point sources refer to the diffuse contamination that does not originate from

a single discrete point source. Common non-point sources were the leaching of

fertilizers from the agricultural lands. Nutrient run off in storm water from sheet

flow over the agricultural land, contaminated water washed off from the road

sides and highways.

iii. Physical parameters:

Different physical parameters of this polluted water were studied at the spot. That

includes color, smell, temperature, turbidity

a. Color:

Color of the water was due to the various dissolved and suspended

material in the water. Color of every site was different from the other, depending

on the nature of the dissolved matter. Color of the sewage water was greyish

brown while that of effluents of Epcot industry was reddish pink.

b. Smell:

Smell of the water is due to the chemicals, and due to the decay of

organic matter in the water. Depending on the waste smell of the water was also

different i.e. the smell of the sewage water was different from that of effluents of

Ittehad chemicals.

c. Turbidity:

Turbidity is the optical effect caused by the dispersion of and interference

with light rays passing through water containing particles in suspension. It

is used as one of the main indicator of quality of raw, settled and filtered

water. Turbidity of water is due to the presence of very small suspended

matter of size >1 micron along with various other metalloids and colloidal

particles of size <1 micron. It is due to the silt, clay, finely divided organic

matter, plankton and other microscopic particles.

d. TDS (total dissolved solids):

Total dissolved solids (TDS) are the total amount of mobile charges ions,

including minerals, salts or metals dissolved in given volume of water,

expressed in units of mg/volume of water (mg/L), also refers to as parts per

million (ppm). TDS is directly related to the purity of water and the quality of

water purification systems and effects everything that consumes, lives in, or

uses water, whether organic or inorganic, whether for better or for worse.

e. Electrical conductivity of water:

The electrical conductivity of water estimates the total amount of solids

dissolved in water. Electrical conductivity is the measure of ability of water

sample to convey an electric current and it is related to concentration of

ionized substance in water. Conductivity can be used as an approximate

measure of total concentration of inorganic substance in water. Ions that

have a major influence on conductivity of water are H+, SO3-2, Na+, K+, Mg+2,

Ca+, Cl- and HCO3. Hence organic compounds have little influence on

conductivity. Conductivity is often used to express minerals content of water

sample. It is also used for dissolved solids and salinity determination.

iv. Chemical parameters:

a) pH:

It is a scale indicating the acidity and alkalinity of the aqueous solution. pH value

is designated as a number from 1 to 14, which represents a logarithmic scale

indicating the concentration of hydrogen ion. pH of the water is due to the presence

of H+ in water. pH of the effluent released from the Ittehad chemicals was 1 while

that of fresh water was 6. This difference indicates the acidity of that effluent.

Results:

Water Samples pH Temp

eratu

re(oc)

Chlori

des

(meq/l)

Nitrat

es

EC

(mic

ro-

Sec)

TDS

ppm

Car

bon

ates

Bicar

bonat

es

(meq/l

)

Colou

r

Odour

Major

Category

Sub

category

Si

te

La

b

FRESH

WATER

SAMpLE

S

DaigNala

fresh

water

6 6.8 21

10.875 Light

blue,

diffuse

6.33 322 _ 6 No

special

colour

No

special

odour

Polluted

water

6 6.4 19 _ Max.

intensi

ty of

blue

596 299 _ 4.16 No

special

colour

No

special

odour

MUNICI

PAL

SEWAGE

WATER

Gulshan

e Ravi

Pumping

Station

6 7.0 25 10.95 Diffus

ed blue

color

703 350 _ 10 Grayis

h-

black

Bad

odour

(Sulph

ur +

nitrate

s like)

INDUST

RIAL

POLLUT

ED

WATER

Ittehad

chemical

Ravi

rayon

chemical

effluent

1

1.3

29

0.003

Sky

blue

40.7

12.4

7

_

5.4

Brown

ish

Chloro

tic

6 6.6 25 _ No

color

138

8

703 _ _ Black Punge

nt (bad

odour)

Dawood

Hercules

6 6.7 29 3.85 Blue,

diffuse

in 30s

5.34 250 _ 3.6 Turbid Nitrate

like

EPCOT

leather

industry

6 7.2 22 _ v.light

blue

10.7

8ms

5.64 _ _ Brown

ish

grey

Discussion:

The significant of field tour is that the students perceive more ideas to carry out their

research work. They get new aspects and the things on which research studies can be

carried out. So for the students of science field tours are part of our study so that we

can verify all the terms and concepts which we are studying in our course. As we are

studying “Sources of Water Pollution” and also “Sources of Air Pollution” so it is

necessary to observe sources and management of water pollution which are used to

control the Water Pollution.

The first place visited was Gulshan Ravi Pumping Station where the physical impurities

are removed from municipal waste water. The water was screened and then disposed of

in Ravi and other water bodies. The water sample was taken from this area revealed that

this water has bad odour,6 ph and contain 1.3% NaCl.

The second place visited was Ittehaad Chemical Industry and Deg Naala in Kaala Shah

Kakoo from where three different types of waste water were observed from the point

sources as well as non-point sources such as effluents from Ittihaad Chemical Industry,

polluted water and freshwater.

The next place visited was the Leather Industry in Sheikhupura from where the effluent

waste water contained highly toxic chemicals and highly turbid.

The last place visited was Dauod Hercules that is the Urea Fertilizer Industry. The

water quality was no adequate for heatlhty life, having rotten egg like smell, ph~6.7

&intermediate turbidity.

All these qualities of water of different areas were due to the presence of different types

of organic, and inorganic waste different dissolved, suspended and colloidal particles

and ions that contribute towards the conductivity of the water.

Industries discharge their waste products in open places and causing air and water

pollution both. As these contains highly toxic pollutants, chemicals and gases that get

into water and air directly and damaging their quality.

There is no proper management to dispose of industrial effluent so these are

contributing a major role in water pollution. So there is need to control water pollution

that is increasing day by day. This is an alarming situation.

Conclusion:

I have learnt a lot regarding point and non-point sources of water pollution and the harmful consequences of these on vegetation, aquatic life and buildings. The water quality is adequate

for life. They have to suffer a lot by drinking polluted water due to lack of industrial management. How much this pollution is dangerous for humans you can imagine!