HEALTH

WATER POLLUTION – CAUSES, EFFECTS AND PREVENTION

Water pollution

Contamination of water by wastes and other harmful substances is called

as water pollution. This contaminated water reaches water bodies like lakes,
rivers, and ponds, causing problems to people who live their lives by consuming
that water.

Causes of Water Pollution

The major cause for water pollution is the industrial waste. The effluents
are sent out to the nearest water body without being treated. The pollutants from
the industrial wastes include nitrates, phosphates, mercury and lead. The
effluents from Chemical factories and pharmaceutical industries can be even
more dangerous to health. The other important reason for water pollution is
because of the domestic wastes. People dump their household wastes in the
nearby water body and causing several health problems. Sometimes there are
chances for septic tank water to get mixed with consumable water, causing
severe health hazards. As several chemicals are used in agriculture, they get run
off during rain and mix with the water body leading to pollution. Water
pollution occurs even in seas because of major oil spills contaminating a portion
of the ocean.

Effects of water pollution

The water becomes unfit to be consumed because of water pollution. When it is

consumed or used in cooking or gets mixed with food, it causes serious
problems to health like typhoid, diarrhoea, and cholera etc. The aquatic animals
suffer a lot because of water pollution. They struggle to cope up with the
polluted water and eventually die. Several fishes and other aquatic animals die
in huge amounts during oil spill. When plastic wastes mix water, there are a lot
of chances for fishes or any other aquatic beings to consume it, leading to death.

How to prevent water pollution

While installing septic tanks higher amount of care has to be taken that it
is no way near to the well or bore water source. To prevent water pollution
because of chemicals in agriculture, de-nitrification process can be used which
avoids leaching of nitrates.