Category 11 · Environment & Ecology
Water Resources and Water Pollution
8 micro topics in Environment & Ecology for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Surface Water Resources and Groundwater Resources; Sources and Causes of Water Pollution; and 6 more.
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11.1
Surface Water Resources and Groundwater Resources
India supports about 17 to 18 percent of the world's population with roughly 4 percent of its freshwater, so water is a limiting resource. Water resources are of two kinds: surface water in rivers, lakes, ponds,…
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11.2
Sources and Causes of Water Pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies by substances or conditions that make water unfit for its intended use and harm living things. Sources are grouped as point sources, which discharge through an identifiable pipe…
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11.3
Measurement of Water Pollution
Water pollution is measured through physical, chemical and biological indicators. The key chemical measures are dissolved oxygen (DO), the oxygen dissolved in water that fish and other aquatic life need, with clean water usually above 5…
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11.4
Harmful Effects of Water Pollution
Water pollution harms human health, aquatic life, agriculture and the economy. Polluted drinking water spreads waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis A and E and diarrhoea, which are a major cause of illness and…
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11.5
Algal Bloom and Eutrophication
Eutrophication is the enrichment of a water body with plant nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, which causes excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants. Natural eutrophication is a slow process of ageing of a lake over…
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11.6
Arsenic Contamination of Water
Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that occurs naturally in rocks and sediments and can dissolve into groundwater. The WHO guideline and the BIS acceptable limit for arsenic in drinking water is 10 micrograms per litre (0.01…
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11.7
Mercury Pollution
Mercury is a heavy metal that is liquid at room temperature and highly toxic, especially in its organic form, methylmercury. It enters the environment from burning coal, small-scale gold mining, chlor-alkali plants, cement and metal smelting,…
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11.8
Oxygen Stratification in Water Bodies
Oxygen stratification is the layering of dissolved oxygen with depth in lakes, reservoirs and seas, which is closely tied to thermal stratification. In summer, the sun warms the surface of a deep lake and the water…
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Frequently asked questions
Which topics are in Water Resources and Water Pollution?
Water Resources and Water Pollution has 8 micro topics in Environment & Ecology: Surface Water Resources and Groundwater Resources; Sources and Causes of Water Pollution; Measurement of Water Pollution; Harmful Effects of Water Pollution; Algal Bloom and Eutrophication; Arsenic Contamination of Water; Mercury Pollution; Oxygen Stratification in Water Bodies.
Is Water Resources and Water Pollution important for UPSC Prelims?
Water Resources and Water Pollution is a part of the UPSC Prelims Environment & Ecology syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 8 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.