Ammonia pollution
- July 31, 2020
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Subject: Environment
Context:
High levels of ammonia were detected in the Yamuna river.
Concept:
- The level of ammonia in raw water of Yamuna river was 1.8 parts per million (ppm) but the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water, as per the Bureau of Indian Standards, is 0.5 ppm.
- Ammonia is a colourless gas and is used as an industrial chemical in the production of fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, dyes and other products.
- Ammonia occurs naturally in the environment from the breakdown of organic waste matter, and may also find its way to ground and surface water sources through industrial effluents or through contamination by sewage.
- If the concentration of ammonia in water is above 1 ppm it is toxic to fishes. In humans, long term ingestion of water having ammonia levels of 1 ppm or above may cause damage to internal organs.
- The most likely source to Yamuna river is effluents from dye units, distilleries and other factories in Panipat and Sonepat districts in Haryana, and also sewage from some unsewered colonies in this stretch of the river.