THERMAL POLLUTION

DEFINITION ADDITION OF EXCESS OF

UNDESIRABLE HEAT TO WATER THAT MAKES IT HARMFUL TO MAN, ANIMAL OR AQUATIC LIFE

Waste Heat from Power Plants

Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear power plants use water as a cooling agent.

After the water is used, it is put back into a water supply at 9-20oC warmer

This 1988 thermal image of the Hudson River highlights temperature changes caused by discharge of 2.5 billion gallons of water each day from the Indian Point power plant. The plant sits in the upper right of the photo — hot water in the discharge canal is visible in yellow and red, spreading and cooling across the entire width of the river. Two additional outflows from the Lovett coal-fired power plant are also clearly visible against the natural temperature of the water, in green and blue.

Red – reservoirs Yellow – Fossil Plants Purple – Nuclear Plants

CAUSES

DISCHARGE OF HEATED WATER OR HOT WASTE MATERIAL INTO WATER BODIES FROM

NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS DOMESTIC SEWAGE HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER COAL FIRED POWER PLANTS

NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS Nuclear power plants use water as a cooling agent.

After the water is used, it is put back into a water supply at 9-20oC

Emissions from nuclear reactor increase the temperature of water bodies.

Coal-fired power plants Coal is utilized as a fuel Condenser coils are cooled with water from nearby lake or river The heated effluents decrease the DO of water Damages the marine organisms

Industrial Effluents

Discharged water from steam-electric power industry

using turbo generators will have a higher temperature

ranging from 6 to 9˚C than the receiving water

In modern stations, producing 100 MW, nearly one

million gallons are discharged in an hour with increase

in temperature of the cooling water passing by 8 to 10 ˚C

Domestic sewageSewage is commonly discharged into lakes,

canals or streams

Municipal sewage normally has a higher

temperature than the receiving water

Increase in temperature of the receiving

water decreases the DO of water.

The foul smelling gases increased in water

resulting in death of marine organisms

Hydro electric power generationGeneration of hydroelectric power sometimes results in

negative thermal loading in water systems

Creates less heat on water sources less than nuclear

power plant

Dissolved Oxygen vs Temp

Fish Oxygen Use vs. Temperature

Fish: Response to Temperature

Solid dot:Upper lethalLimit for aGiven species

Open dot:Best T for spawning

Solid blocks:PreferredTemperatureRange

The Future

is Now

Wanted Water Quality Board Actions1. The Water Quality Board requests TDEC

conduct a study of the cumulative water quality impacts of the thermal pollution caused by existing and proposed power generating plants on the Tennessee River, including the climatic scenarios of prolonged drought and warmer temperatures.

2. The Water Quality Board requests that TDEC participate in the environmental scoping of the impacts upon the waters of the State of TN of the proposed TVA Bellefonte, AL nuclear power plants and report periodically to the Board.

CONTROL MEASURES

Cooling towers

Cooling ponds

Spray ponds

Artificial lakes