[INFORMATIVE] Thermal Pollution

Thermal Pollution

By: Haniya Salman

What is Thermal Pollution?
Thermal pollution is a swift change in the temperature of water bodies like oceans, rivers, and lakes. It is a decline in the water quality due to any procedure that converts the temperature of the water. Thermal pollution is a major environmental concern, but it is often left unnoticed.

What Causes Thermal Pollution?
One of the reasons for thermal pollution is deforestation. Because humans cut down trees to extract wood for construction, clearing land for agriculture, urbanisation, etc. Due to this, there are no trees to protect the water bodies from sunlight; the direct sunlight heats the water, and thus the water temperature rises. Industrial waste is another contributor to causing thermal pollution since industries draw great amounts of water from lakes, rivers, and oceans to use as cooling agents for their machinery, and that heated water left behind is released back into the water bodies. The consequence of that warm water being discharged back into the water is that the water's overall temperature changes, causing thermal pollution and affecting the aquatic species residing in that water body by lowering the oxygen levels. Thermal pollution can also increase due to natural causes, such as submarine volcanoes, forest fires, and solar heating. Submarine volcanoes are underwater volcanoes, and when they erupt, the heat is released in the body of water, resulting in a quick rise in the temperature of that natural body of water. Although these causes are natural, human actions sometimes lead to these natural causes. Most of the time, wildfires take place due to human actions, such as burning waste, discarding cigarette butts on the ground, and burning unnecessary agricultural remains. These actions are the number one cause of wildfires, and when these wildfires take place, it has an impact on climate change, due to which glaciers melt rapidly, hence affecting the temperature of the water body.

Furthermore, urban runoff contributes to an increase in thermal pollution. During the summer, paved surfaces preserve heat from the sunlight. When rainfall occurs, the heat is absorbed into the excess rainwater, which runs off to the nearby water streams, and due to that, thermal pollution increases.

Effects of Thermal Pollution on the Environment:
A sudden change in the body due to thermal pollution disrupts the body due to thermal pollution disrupts the ecosystem. This disruption stresses the aquatic species out, which kills fish, insects, and other organisms. Moreover, thermal pollution decreases the oxygen level since warm water possesses less dissolved oxygen. What is dissolved oxygen? Dissolved oxygen is oxygen present in the water, and it is crucial for the survival of fish and other organisms. Thermal pollution may also alter species composition, as some species composition may flourish in the opposite direction. For instance, invasive species might survive in warm water conditions, which can displace native species. This also affects aquatic species' reproductive systems by causing infertility. This can happen as intense heat can impair the reproductive organs of aquatic species. Furthermore, this disruption in the reproductive cycle of aquatic species can cause a decline in marine wildlife.

Additionally, thermal pollution encourages harmful algal blooms, which initiate toxins damaging to marine life. These toxins in the water can make the water inedible for human consumption, and the water can cause multiple health problems. If a fish from this intoxicated water is consumed, it can lead to shellfish poisoning.

How can we reduce thermal pollution?
There are certain ways we can reduce thermal pollution to protect our ecosystems. Every problem can have a solution if we work together to solve it. Thermal pollution can be reduced if industries implement cooling ponds. These cooling ponds are shallow reservoirs with a wide surface area. By storing the industrial discharge in the cooling ponds before releasing it in the water bodies, bodies help the waste water cool down since the large surface area exposes the water to the air; this makes the water release the stored heat into the atmosphere, hence cooling the temperature down. Since the temperature cools down, this prevents a sudden spike in the temperature of the water being released in the body. This problem can also be reduced by reforestation. Reforestation is replanting an area with trees. By replanting trees near water bodies, it can help control urban runoff as trees will absorb the excess water and thus less urban runoff will be released in the streams. This will furthermore stabilise the soil near water streams, and because of that, there would be a reduction in soil erosion, thus reducing thermal pollution. Planting trees near water bodies will help keep the water temperature cool, as trees will provide shade to the water temperature as trees are absorbed. This will keep the aquatic ecosystem safe, as cool water has more dissolved oxygen, which is beneficial for the survival of the marine ecosystem. Though these methods may help reduce thermal pollution, one factor that can have a greater impact is stricter rules and regulations by the government on industries. This can have a significant impact if the government sets down regulations more stringent on the temperature of the industries. By doing so, this can bring about a reduction in thermal pollution as the temperature of the water discharge will be monitored, and hence warm water would not be released into the water bodies.


Citations:
The Statesman, 2022. Impact of thermal water pollution on aquatic life. The Statesman. Available at: https://www.thestatesman.com/lifestyle/impact-of-thermal-water-pollution-on-aquatic-life-1503127246.html

Perch Energy, 2023. What is thermal pollution? Causes & impact. Perch Energy. Available at: https://www.perchenergy.com/blog/environment/what-is-thermal-pollution-causes-impact

ScienceDirect, n.d. Thermal pollution. ScienceDirect. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/thermal-pollution

Mechanic Realm, 2023. Causes of thermal pollution. Mechanic Realm. Available at: https://mechanicrealm.com/causes-of-thermal-pollution/

EPA, 2023. Climate change indicators: Wildfires. Environmental Protection Agency. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-wildfires#:~:text=Beyond%20the%20human%20and%20societal,turn%20contributes%20to%20climate%20change

Arcadia, 2023. Causes and effects of thermal pollution. Arcadia. Available at: https://www.arcadia.com/blog/causes-effects-thermal-pollution EPA, 2023. Indicators: Dissolved oxygen. Environmental Protection Agency. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/indicators-dissolved-oxygen#:~:text=What%20is%20dissolved%20oxygen%3F,of%20a%20pond%20or%20lake