Water pollution

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities.
Water bodies include for example lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater. Water
pollution results when contaminants are introduced into the natural environment.

Water pollution depends on the quantity of whatever is invading the water. Small doses may
not be in a position to cause any harm. But when the pollutant comes in large quantities and at
a steady rate, the clean water would be overpowered, and it would begin to affect the water
and the life that it sustains.

Water pollution is anything that damages the water. There are many different forms, causes
and effects of water pollution. In this article we are going to take a look at them.

Without water, life on earth would be impossible. We can do without food for a little while,
but we would not last very long without water.

We have a limited amount of water available to us, so we need to preserve what we can and
take care of it well. Unfortunately, pollution threatens to destroy this precious resource and
leave us in a desperate situation.

Not only does water pollution impact our lives, but it has catastrophic effects on the
environment. Let’s learn more about water contamination and what we can do about it.

The types of water that get polluted

There are many different types of pollution, each having a different effect. Let’s take a look at
the main types of water pollution.

Surface water – this is the most obvious type of water pollution. Surface water is the water
that we can see, for example the oceans, rivers, wetlands and lakes.

Groundwater – a lot of water is stored underground in rock structures known as aquifers.

These aquifers store the water as it travels and feeds into dams and rivers. The water stored
there is called groundwater. This water becomes polluted when chemicals, like weed killers,
seep into the ground.

Groundwater is particularly susceptible to non-point source pollution (see next section). When
groundwater gets polluted it is extremely hard to reverse the damage done, as it sits far below
the surface.

Sources of water pollution

The sources of water pollution are identified in two groups.

 Point Source Pollution – this is pollution where the source can be traced to an
individual location. An example of this would be a factory that releases chemicals into
a river. Any source of pollution that has an identifiable location is point source.
 Non-Point Source Pollution – this is water pollution where the source isn’t easily
identifiable. Examples of this are rainfall or snowmelt, as they are a culmination of
 pollution in a wide area. As the runoff from precipitation moves across the ground it
absorbs pollutants like fertilizers and pesticides and then deposits them in lakes, rivers,
oceans, and ground water.

Causes of water pollution

 Sewage
 Landfill and animal waste
 Fertilizer
 Water waste
 Chemical waste
 Radioactive waste
 Plastic
 Oil spills
 Invasive spaces

Effects of wáter pollution:

 Groundwater contamination from pesticides causes reproductive damage within

wildlife in ecosystems.
 Sewage, fertilizer, and agricultural run-off contain organic materials that when
discharged into waters, increase the growth of algae, which causes the depletion
of oxygen. The low oxygen levels are not able to support most indigenous
organisms in the area and therefore upset the natural ecological balance in rivers
and lakes.
 Swimming in and drinking contaminated water causes skin rashes and health
problems like cancer, reproductive problems, typhoid fever and stomach sickness
in humans. Which is why it’s very important to make sure that your water is clean
and safe to drink.

 Industrial chemicals and agricultural pesticides that end up in aquatic

environments can accumulate in fish that are later eaten by humans. Fish are
easily poisoned with metals that are also later consumed by humans. Mercury is
particularly poisonous to small children and women. Mercury has been found to
interfere with the development of the nervous system in fetuses and young
children.
 Ecosystems are destroyed by the rising temperature in the water, as coral reefs
are affected by the bleaching effect due to warmer temperatures. Additionally,
the warm water forces indigenous water species to seek cooler water in other
areas, causing an ecological damaging shift of the affected area.
 Human-produced litter of items such as plastic bags and 6-pack rings can get
aquatic animals caught and killed from suffocation.
 Water pollution causes flooding due to the accumulation of solid waste and soil
erosion in streams and rivers.
 Oil spills in the water causes animal to die when they ingest it or encounter it. Oil
does not dissolve in water so it causes suffocation in fish and birds.

Water Pollution Facts:

Following are some facts on water pollution:

Fourteen billion pounds of garbage, which is mostly plastic, is dumped into the ocean
every year.

The Ganges River in India is one the most polluted rivers in the world with sewage,
trash, food, and animal remains.

According to United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) estimates, 1.2
trillion gallons of untreated sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste is dumped into
U.S. waters annually.

About 700 million people globally drink contaminated water.

Aquatic animals face an extinction rate of five times more than that of terrestrial
animals.

Over 30 billion tons of urban sewage is discharged into lakes, rivers and oceans every
year.

The massive oil spill that was caused by British Petroleum (BP) in the year 2010 caused
over 1,000 animals to die. Many of them were on the endangered species list.

According to UNICEF, more than 3,000 children die every day all over the world due to
consumption of contaminated drinking water.

Pollution is one of the biggest killers in the world, affecting over 100 million people.

Lack of proper sanitation in water leads to diseases like cholera, malaria and diarrhea.

At least 320 million people in China do not have access to clean drinking wáter

Most polluted rivers:

 Mississippi River, USA

 Sarned River, Italy
 Marilao River, Philippines
 Yellow River, China
 Jordan River, Israel
 River Yamuna, India
 Buriganga River, Bangladesh
 Matanza Riachuelo River, Argentina
 Ganges River, India
 Citarum River, Indonesia