M.Sc. Zoology Dept.

of Zoology,
Semester - II RLSY College, Bakhtiyarpur (Patna)
Patliputra University, Bihar
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Core Course (CC-5):

Mrs. Arusha Modi

THERMAL AND RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION

A. Thermal pollution
Thermal pollution comes from hot water or cold water being dumped into a body of water.
Bodies of water naturally tend to dissipate the heat gained from warm currents, underwater hot
springs, and from the sun.
The main cause of thermal pollution: Many human and natural factors contribute to the
problem of thermal pollution. The single biggest cause of thermal pollution is probably cooling
for industrial machinery and power plants. Water is an excellent, and free, cooling agent. This
is why many industrial operations pull in relatively cool water to cool their machinery and let
the relatively warm water flow back into the river or lake or sea.
Thermal pollution also has some natural causes. Geothermal vents and hot springs introduce
excess heat into bodies of water. Soil erosion, deforestation, and runoff from paved areas are
other artificial sources of hot water. Deforestation eliminates shade, which exposes the water
to sunlight. Water on hot paved surfaces gets hot, then runs off into nearby bodies of water,
raising the water temperature. Retention ponds can also be a source of thermal shock because
the relatively small and shallow bodies of water can absorb quite a bit of heat energy from the
sun. Pumping that water directly into a river, lake, or bay causes a significant temperature
increase, just like pouring a hot pitcher of water into a bathtub full of water causes the water to
jump a few degrees Fahrenheit.
The effects of thermal pollution: The effects of thermal pollution are diverse, but in short,
thermal pollution damages water ecosystems and reduces animal populations. Plant species,
algae, bacteria, and multi-celled animals all respond differently to significant temperature
changes. Organisms that cannot adapt can die of various causes or can be forced out of the area.
Reproductive problems can further reduce the diversity of life in the polluted area. Warm water
holds less oxygen than cool water. If the oxygen level drops animals that cannot move to
another area may begin to die. In deeper bodies of water, the injection of warm water can keep
oxygen from dispersing into deep water, which is potentially good for bacteria but dangerous
for aquatic animals. The decreased oxygen can cause algae blooms that pose a threat to aquatic
plants and animals. This algae bloom problem is probably the most common and best-known
side effect of thermal pollution.
M.Sc. Zoology Dept. of Zoology,
Semester - II RLSY College, Bakhtiyarpur (Patna)
Patliputra University, Bihar
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Fish and amphibians may move away from the warm water to a more-suitable location,
disrupting the ecosystem for animals that remain. Birds may also be forced to leave in search
of areas with more food. Plants and certain animals will be stuck in the area, which can lead to
huge losses. Migration away from the polluted area contributes to a dramatic loss of
biodiversity at sites where thermal pollution happens. Coral reef bleaching has also been
observed when a power plant or factory is dumped into coastal water. Coral bleaching happens
when the coral organisms die.
B. Radioactive pollution
Radioactive pollution occurs when there is a presence or depositions of radioactive materials
in the atmosphere or environment, especially where their presence is accidental and when it
presents an environmental threat due to radioactive decay. The destruction caused by the
radioactive materials is because of the emissions of hazardous ionizing radiation (radioactive
decay) like beta or alpha particles, gamma rays or neurons in the environment where they exist.
The main cause of radioactive pollution: In some cases, and countries, nuclear power plant
accidents like the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011), Chernobyl disaster (1986), and
Three Mile Island accident (1979) left many dead and even many more affected by the radiation
released. The use of nuclear missiles and atomic bombs, a form of nuclear energy, in the Second
World War explains not only the cause but also the damaging nature of radioactive pollution
or contamination. Radioisotopes are used to make detectors and in other industrial activities.
Isotopes such as uranium have high concentrations of radiation in them. On the other hand,
common Isotopes such as carbon-containing radioactive material are easily found in waterways
M.Sc. Zoology Dept. of Zoology,
Semester - II RLSY College, Bakhtiyarpur (Patna)
Patliputra University, Bihar
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through sewage lines. Mining mostly involves the excavation of the mineral ores, which are
then broken into smaller, manageable pieces. Radium and Uranium are naturally occurring in
the environment. There have been instances of spillages over oceans when ships hit glaciers or
coral reefs and end up releasing chemicals on waterways and in the atmosphere. Chemotherapy,
a cancer curative health initiative, uses radiation to prevent further growth of the cancer cells
as well as keep the immune system strong. Despite this, scientists have been exposed to
radiation leading to their deaths or other complications. The radioactive wastes are of three
categories- high level, low level and transuranic. They mainly comprise of the disposal from
nuclear weapons, the cleaning materials from nuclear plants, military installations, emitted
from plutonium processing and other radioisotopes from hospitals and laboratories. The
handling and disposal of nuclear waste may generate low to medium radiation over a long
period of time.
The effects of radioactive pollution: Radiation has adverse effects when it comes to genetics.
It leads to damage to DNA strands leading to the genetic break up over time. The degree of
genetic mutation leading to changes in DNA composition varies due to the level of radiation
one has been exposed to and the kind of exposure. Few cancers like leukemia, skin cancer are
caused due to exposure to radiation. Radioactive substances in the soil react together with the
various nutrients leading to the destruction of those nutrients, thus rendering the soil infertile
and highly toxic. Radiation distorts the cells of body present, leading to permanent damage of
the various organs and organ systems. In the face of too much radiation, permanent illnesses
and death are inevitable.

Herbivores, such as cattle, when grazing the contaminated land, the deposited Ce-13 and I-131
get accumulated on the animal tissues in a large amount. he plants are also exposed to radiation,
and the damage is mostly done due to the increased Ultraviolet waves. Different plants get
M.Sc. Zoology Dept. of Zoology,
Semester - II RLSY College, Bakhtiyarpur (Patna)
Patliputra University, Bihar
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affected differently. The stomata stop to evaporate during the increase of radiation. When the
radiation hits the chromosomes, the reproduction gets hampered. It results in altered shapes,
sizes and health in plants. Exposure in high amounts destroys the affected plants. When we eat
these plants, we ingest nuclides. The power plants, which are the sources of nuclear energy and
chemical processing, have been releasing radioisotopes into the water for decades. Cesium,
Radon, Crypton, Ruthenium, Zinc and Copper are few of them. Though the waste is released
in a “permissible” amount, it does not mean safe. These radionuclides can be detected in the
soft tissues or on the bones of the fishes. The sea-weed used in bread was said to have
radioisotope of ruthenium. The shells of all shelled fishes and the tissues of fishes are
contaminated with radionuclides.
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