“There is enough for everyone’s need,

but not enough for anyone’s greed”

The father of our nation, M.K. GANDHI, perhaps had

foreseen the status of our today’s world decades

before, mirroring our present world in this beautiful

quote of his.

The world is too busy now, so busy that it has

forgotten about tomorrow. Especially our gen-x is

too busy to set up their own future, but little do

we think if this world has a future or not?

History tells of great civilizations blooming around the Euphrates, the Tigris or the Indus. In fact, rivers have not only caused humans to settle, but have also named many of the great settlements. Water, with its simple rate of flow and its volubility becomes the ideal metaphor for the activity and fluidity of human thought and action. In other words, water is nothing short of magic. Any living solid, is essentially composed of this liquid, that perhaps has been specifically designed to suit every errand that the pangs of life set us to.It so happens that with the magic of a liquid such as water, which cleanses as well as dissolves, purifies as well as dirties, quenches thirst as well as intensifies it, it is most easily found in all the wrong places. The pristine nature of water is the essence of life, its cradle and its only originator. Today water is irreplaceable in any industry, household or domestic scenario. From the first alga to the mighty blue whale, water is not only the propagator of life, but sometimes its only medium. With time, it is a misfortune that water

becomes friendly with so many things that simply make it ill for itself, for nature and obviously for humans. Its purification and diagnosis becomes crucial not only for the essentials of human life, but also for the ecosphere around.

Water is a chemical substance with the

chemical formula H2O. Connected by covalent

bonds. Chemical interaction bonds are of three

types-Ionic (the business bond, where one atom

gives the other takes for the sake of stability),

Covalent (the friendship bond, they share!) and

the dative bond (the donor bond, one gives just

because he has extra).Yes, water is formed when

two friends (hydrogen and oxygen) join hands

and share electrons, hence by stabilizing both.

Pretty much the way schools collaborate with

each other, sharing knowledge and ideas,

nourishing new bonds of friendship and

benefiting both. Kudos to ISA!!!

Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it

often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice,

and gaseous state (water vapor or steam). Water

also exists in a liquid crystal state near

hydrophilic surfaces. Under nomenclature used to

name chemical compounds, dihydrogen

monoxide is the scientific name for water, though

it is almost never used.

Water covers 70.9% of the Earth's surface and is vital for all known forms of life. On Earth,

96.5% of the planet's water is found in oceans, 1.7% in groundwater, 1.7% in glaciers and the

ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland, a small fraction in other large water bodies, and

0.001% in the air as vapour, clouds(formed of solid and liquid water particles suspended in

air), and precipitation. Only 2.5% of the Earth's water is freshwater, and 98.8% of that water

is in ice and groundwater. Less than 0.3% of all freshwater is in rivers, lakes, and the

atmosphere, and an even smaller amount of the Earth's freshwater (0.003%) is contained

within biological bodies and manufactured products.

1. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:

The liquid wonder, the fluid phenomenon has been helping life to survive for ages

together. Add to that the wonder properties given below and we know that we are dealing

with a celebrity! A celebrity of the bygone ages: a God and hero in the Vedas and integral

part in each of the cultures of our ‘tiny’ huge world. The difference though, is that this celeb

is a celeb whose presence is not celebrated but taken for granted. And on the same road of

idea, wasted! So, let’s get the value of this wonder liquid right into our heads, and make

him...........

A CELEB AGAIN!!!

The major chemical and physical properties of water are:

Water is a liquid at standard temperature and pressure. It is tasteless and odorless. The

intrinsic colour of water and ice is a very slight blue hue, although both appear

colorless in small quantities. Water vapour is essentially invisible as a gas.

Water is transparent in the visible electromagnetic spectrum. Thus aquatic plants can

live in water because sunlight can reach them. Infrared light is strongly absorbed by

the hydrogen-oxygen or OH bonds.

Water is a good solvent and is often referred to as the universal solvent. Substances

that dissolve in water, e.g., salts, sugars, acids, alkalis, and some gases – especially

oxygen, carbon dioxide (carbonation) are known as hydrophilic (water-loving)

substances, while those that do not mix well with water (e.g., fats and oils), are

known as hydrophobic (water-fearing) substances.

At 4181.3 J/ (kg·K), water has a high specific heat capacity, as well as a high heat of

vaporization (40.65 kJ·mol−1), both of which are a result of the extensive hydrogen

bonding between its molecules.

Its density is 1,000 kg/m3 (62.428 lb/cu ft or 8.3454 lb/US gal) liquid (at 4 °C; ice has

a density of 917 kg/m3).

2. TASTE AND ODOUR

Water can dissolve many different substances, giving it varying tastes and odours. Humans

and other animals have developed senses that enable them to evaluate the potability of water

by avoiding water that is too salty or putrid. The taste of spring water and mineral water,

often advertised in marketing of consumer products, derives from the minerals dissolved in

it. However, pure H2O is tasteless and odorless.

3. DISTRIBUTION IN NATURE

IN THE UNIVERSE :

Much of the universe's water is produced as a byproduct of star formation. When stars

are born, their birth is accompanied by a strong outward wind of gas and dust. When this

outflow of material eventually impacts the surrounding gas, the shock waves that are created,

compress and heat the gas. The water observed is quickly produced in this warm dense gas.

According to the researchers, the "discovery shows that water has been prevalent in the

universe for nearly its entire existence."

Water has been detected in interstellar clouds within our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Water probably exists in abundance in other galaxies, too, because its components, hydrogen

and oxygen, are among the most abundant elements in the universe. Interstellar clouds

eventually condense into solar nebulae and solar systems such as ours.

Water vapour is present in

Atmosphere of Mercury: 3.4%, and large amounts of water in Mercury's

exosphere

Atmosphere of Venus: 0.002%

Earth's atmosphere: ~0.40% over full atmosphere, typically 1–4% at surface

Atmosphere of Mars: 0.03%

Atmosphere of Jupiter: 0.0004%

Atmosphere of Saturn – in ices only

Enceladus (moon of Saturn): 91%

Exoplanets known as HD 189733 b and HD 209458 b.

Water ice is present on

Earth – mainly as ice sheets

polar ice caps on Mars

Moon

Titan

ON EARTH:

DISTRIBUTION OF WATER IN EARTH

Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface; the

oceans contain 96.5% of the Earth's water. The

Antarctic ice sheet, which contains 61% of all

fresh water on Earth, is visible at the bottom.

Condensed atmospheric water can be seen as

clouds, contributing to the Earth's albedo.

Earth's approximate water volume is

1,338,000,000 km3 .Liquid water is found in

bodies of water, such as an ocean, sea. The

majority of water on Earth is sea water. Water

is also present in the atmosphere in solid, liquid,

and vapor states.

4. WATER CYCLE

The water cycle (known scientifically as the

hydrologic cycle) refers to the continuous exchange

of water within the hydrosphere, between the

atmosphere, soil water, surface water, groundwater,

and plants.

WATER CYCLE consisting of following transfer

processes:

Evaporation from oceans and other water

bodies into the air and transpiration from land

plants and animals into air.

Precipitation, from water vapor condensing

from the air and falling to earth or ocean.

Runoff from the land usually reaching the sea.

5. FRESH WATER STORAGE

KANDLA

Some runoff water is trapped for periods of

time, for example in lakes. At high altitude and

in the far north and south, snow collects in ice

caps, snow pack and glaciers. Water also

infiltrates the ground and goes into aquifers.

This groundwater later flows back to the surface

in springs, or more spectacularly in hot springs

and geysers. Groundwater is also extracted

artificially in wells. This water storage is

important, since clean, fresh water is essential

to human and other land-based life.

SEA WATER

Sea water contains about 3.5% salt on average, plus smaller amounts of other

substances. It freezes at a lower temperature (about −1.9 °C) and its density increases with

decreasing temperature to the freezing point, instead of reaching maximum density at a

temperature above freezing. The salinity of water in major seas varies from about 0.7% in the

Baltic Sea to 4.0% in the Red Sea.

TIDES

Tides are the cyclic rising and falling of local sea levels caused by the tidal forces of

the Moon and the Sun acting on the oceans. Tides cause changes in the depth of the marine

and estuarine water bodies and produce oscillating currents known as tidal streams. The

changing tide produced at a given location is the result of the changing positions of the Moon

and Sun relative to the Earth coupled with the effects of Earth rotation and the local

bathymetry.

6. EFFECT ON LIFE

From a biological standpoint, water has many distinct properties that are critical for the

proliferation of life that set it apart from other substances. It carries out this role by allowing

organic compounds to react in ways that ultimately allow replication.

MANKIND:

From a biological standpoint, water has many

distinct properties that are critical for the

proliferation of life that set it apart from other

substances. It carries out this role by allowing

organic compounds to react in ways that ultimately

allow replication. Water is vital both as a solvent in

which many of the body's solutes dissolve and as an

essential part of many metabolic processes within

the body. Water is also central to acid-base

neutrality and enzyme function

PLANTS:

Water is fundamental to

photosynthesis and respiration.

Photosynthetic cells use the sun's energy to

split off water's hydrogen from oxygen

AQUATIC LIFE FORMS:

Earth surface waters are filled with life. The

earliest life forms appeared in water; nearly all

fish live exclusively in water, and there are many

types of marine mammals, such as dolphins and

whales. Some kinds of animals, such as

amphibians, spend portions of their lives in water

and portions on land

7. EFFECT ON HUMAN CIVILISATION

Civilization has historically flourished around rivers and major waterways; Mesopotamia,

the so-called cradle of civilization, was situated between the major rivers Tigris and

Euphrates; the ancient society of the Egyptians depended entirely upon the Nile. Large

metropolises like London, Montreal, Paris, New York City owe their success in part to their

easy accessibility via water and the resultant expansion of trade. Islands with safe water

ports, like Singapore, have flourished for the same reason. In places such as North Africa and

the Middle East, where water is scarcer, access to clean drinking water was and is a major

factor in human development.

HEALTH AND POLLUTION:

Water sampling for lab analysis

Water fit for human consumption is called

drinking water or potable water . Water that

is not potable may be made potable by

filtration or distillation, or by a range of

other methods. Water that is not fit for

drinking but is not harmful for humans

when used for swimming or bathing is

called by various names other than potable

or drinking water, and is sometimes called

safe water or "safe for bathing".

WATER POLLUTION

METHODS TO MAKE WATER PORTABLE:

1. Chlorine is a skin and mucous membrane irritant that is used to make water safe for

bathing or drinking. Its use is highly technical and is usually monitored by

government regulations. Water for bathing may be maintained in satisfactory

microbiological condition using chemical disinfectants such as chlorine or ozone or

by the use of ultraviolet light.

2. In the USA, non-potable forms of wastewater generated by humans may be referred

to as greywater, which is treatable and thus easily able to be made potable again, and

blackwater, which generally contains sewage and other forms of waste which require

further treatment in order to be made reusable.

ARSENIC POLLUTION IN GROUND WATER OF INDIA

Arsenic (As) is one of the worst environmental

plutanys responsible for the highest risk mortality

worldspread because of its toxicity and ingestion by

millions of people. Unlike the other chemical

contaminants that are restricted to the area of

influence around a point source, dangerously high

levels of arsenic have been found in many water

supplies around the world and quite extensively in

the groundwater near deltaic regions of the South

Asia countries.

Since As enters the groundwater by natural processes

without having any point source its prevention at

source is difficult. In the absence of any alternative

solution people residing in these areas are knowingly

or unknowingly drinking water which is

contaminated with As.

a) INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR As IN DRINKING WATER

Generally the concentration of arsenic in groundwater is <10 g/l and often below the

detection limit of routine analytical methods. The WHO (1996) guideline value for arsenic in

drinking water was reduced from 50 g/l to a provisional value of 10 g/l. Most of the

western countries adopted this limit in their current drinking water standards. On the other

hand, many affected countries still operate 50 g/l standard due to lack of adequate testing

facilities.

b) ARSENIC TOXICITY

Human beings can be exposed to arsenic through their diet or from natural

environmental sources like contaminated drinking water. Arsenic is highly carcinogenic and

its widespread occurrence in groundwater poses a major threat to global public health.

Arsenic in drinking water can cause severe skin diseases like skin cancer; lung, bladder, and

kidney cancers, and perhaps other internal tumors; peripheral vascular disease; hypertension;

and diabetes. It also seems to have a negative impact on reproductive processes such as infant

mortality and weight of newborn babies. The toxicology of arsenic involves mechanisms that

are still not completely understood.

The main forms of arsenic found in groundwater used for human consumption and, to a

lesser extent, in foodstuff are inorganic arsenic (In-As), occurring either as trivalent (As3+) or

pentavalent (As5+) compounds.

Arsenic toxicity in human health

c) GROUNDWATER-ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN THE WORLD

In contrast to anthropogenic source such as mine excavation, which is a localized

phenomenon, widespread occurrence of arsenic in groundwater is attributed to the geogenic

origin in major parts of the world including 1) United States, 2) Mexico, 3) Chile, 4) Bolivia,

5) Argentina, 6) Hungary, 7) Romania, 8) India, 9) Bangladesh, 10) Thailand, 11) Vietnam,

12) Taiwan, 13) China and 14) Nepal (Fig. 2). Besides, Canada, South America, Africa,

Europe and other Asian countries like Pakistan, Japan, Korea, Cambodia etc., have wider

areas of higher concentration of arsenic in their groundwater

Arsenic affected countries in the world.

d) GROUNDWATER-ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN INDIA

Like in other Asian countries, arsenic contamination is widespread in India, especially in the

Bengal delta covering the eastern part of West Bengal which extends into the adjacent

country of Bangladesh. In India, arsenic contamination is reported from the states of

Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura,

Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Indian states with reports of high arsenic in

groundwater.

e) GROUNDWATER-ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN WEST BENGAL

Districts with reports of high arsenic in

groundwater in West Bengal.

The problem in West Bengal is severe

as the affected area is vast sometimes

extending beyond national boundaries and

also millions of people are exposed to the

menace of arsenic contamination (>0.01 – 3.7

mg/l with an average of 0.2 mg/l) as

groundwater is the prime source of drinking

water in rural Bengal.

f) REMEDIAL MEASURES

The research institutes came up with citing technologies for “As” removal like

Coagulation, Lime softening, Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis, Electrodialysis,

Nanofiltration etc. Among them activated alumina emerged as most popular and was

used n manufacturing small scale “As” filters.

AGRICULTURE

The most important use of water in

agriculture is for irrigation, which is a key

component to produce enough food.

Irrigation takes up to 90% of water

withdrawn in some developing countries

and significant proportions in more

economically developed countries (United

States, 30% of freshwater usage is for

irrigation).

AS A SCIENTIFIC STANDARD

On 7 April 1795, the gram was defined in France to be equal to "the absolute weight of a

volume of pure water equal to a cube of one hundredth of a meter, and to the temperature of

the melting ice. The Kelvin temperature scale of the SI system is based on the triple point of

water, defined as exactly 273.16 K or 0.01 °C. The scale is an absolute temperature scale

with the same increment as the Celsius temperature scale, which was originally defined

according the boiling point (set to 100 °C) and melting point (set to 0 °C) of water.

FOR DRINKING

The human body contains from 55% to 78% water,

depending on body size. To function properly, the

body requires between one and seven liters of water

per day to avoid dehydration; the precise amount

depends on the level of activity, temperature,

humidity, and other factors.

WASHING

The propensity of water to form solutions and emulsions is useful in various washing

processes. Many industrial processes rely on reactions using chemicals dissolved in water,

suspension of solids in water slurries or using water to dissolve and extract substances.

TRANSPORTATION

The use of water for transportation of materials through rivers and canals as well as the

international shipping lanes is an important part of the world economy.

CHEMICAL USES

Water is widely used in chemical reactions as a solvent

or reactant and less commonly as a solute or catalyst. It

is amphoteric (acidic and basic) and nucleophilict. Also,

acceleration of Diels-Alder reactions by water has been

observed. Supercritical water has recently been a topic

of research.

HEAT EXCHANGE

Water and steam are used as heat transfer fluids in diverse heat exchange systems, due to its

availability and high heat capacity, both as a coolant and for heating. Cool water may even be

naturally available from a lake or the sea.

FIRE EXTINCTION

Water has a high heat of vaporization and is

relatively inert, which makes it a good fire

extinguishing fluid

RECREATION

Humans use water for many recreational

purposes, as well as for exercising and for

sports. Some of these include swimming,

waterskiing, boating, surfing and diving.

Some keep fish and other life in aquariums

or ponds for show, fun, and companionship.

Humans also use water for snow sports i.e.

skiing, sledding, snowmobiling or

snowboarding, which requires the water to

be frozen.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

Water is used in power

generation.

Hydroelectricity is

electricity obtained from

hydropower.

Hydroelectric power

comes from water

driving a water turbine

connected to a generator.

Hydroelectricity is a

low-cost, non-polluting,

renewable energy source.

7. WATER CONSERVATION

Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for

different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.

Goals:

The goals of water conservation efforts include as follows:

Sustainability. To ensure availability for future generations, the withdrawal of fresh

water from an ecosystem should not exceed its natural replacement rate.

Energy conservation. Water pumping, delivery, and wastewater treatment facilities

consume a significant amount of energy. In some regions of the world over 15% of

total electricity consumption is devoted to water management.

Habitat conservation. Minimizing human water use helps to preserve fresh water

habitats for local wildlife and migrating waterfowl, as well as reducing the need to

build new dams and other water diversion infrastructures.

Reduce water consumption per capital.

HOUSEHOLD APPLICATIONS

Water-saving technology for the home includes:

Low-flow shower heads sometimes called

energy-efficient shower heads as they also use

less energy,

Low-flush toilets and composting toilets. These

have a dramatic impact in the developed world,

as conventional Western toilets use large

volumes of water.

Dual flush toilets created by Caroma includes

two buttons or handles to flush different levels

of water. Dual flush toilets use up to 67% less

water than conventional toilets.

Saline water (sea water) or rain water can be

used for flushing toilets.

COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

Many water-saving devices (such as low-flush toilets) that are useful in homes can also be

useful for business water saving. Other water-saving technology for businesses includes:

Waterless urinals

Waterless car washes

Infrared or foot-operated taps, which can save water by using short bursts of water for

rinsing in a kitchen or bathroom

Pressurized waterbrooms, which can be used instead of a hose to clean sidewalks

X-ray film processor re-circulation systems

AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS

For crop irrigation, optimal water efficiency

means minimizing losses due to evaporation.

Overhead irrigation, using center-pivot or

lateral-moving sprinklers, has the potential for

a much more equal and controlled distribution

pattern. Drip irrigation is the most expensive

and least-used type, but offers the ability to

deliver water to plant roots with minimal

losses.

MINIMUM WATER NETWORK TARGET AND DESIGN

The cost effective minimum water network is a holistic framework/guide for water

conservation that helps in determining the minimum amount of freshwater and wastewater

target for an industrial or urban system based on the water management hierarchy i.e. it

considers all conceivable methods to save water. The technique ensures that the designer

desired payback period is satisfied using Systematic Hierarchical Approach for Resilient

Process Screening (SHARPS) technique.