What is waterpollution?

Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of a stream, river, lake,

ocean or any other stretch of water, depleting water quality and making it toxic
for the environment and humans.
There are two types of water pollution:

1.Organic pollution due to microorganisms - bacteria and viruses - present in the

water, generated by excrement, animal and vegetable waste
2.Chemical pollution generated by the nitrates and phosphates of pesticides,
human and animal drugs, household products, heavy metals, acids and
hydrocarbons used in industries
Water pollution
causes
What are the sources of water pollution? Unsurprisingly, human activity is
primarily responsible for water pollution, even if natural phenomenon - such as
landslides and floods - can also contribute to degrade the water quality.
SEWAGE AND WASTEWATER

Inadequate sewage collection and treatment are sources of water pollution.

According to the United Nations, more than 80% of the worldwide wastewater
goes back in the environment without being treated or reused.

Photo by markusspiske on Pixabay

URBANIZATION AND DEFORESTATION

Even though it does not have a direct impact on water quality, urbanization and
deforestation have a lot of indirect effects. For instance, cutting down trees and
concreting over large areas generates an acceleration of flows which does not
give enough time for water to infiltrate and be purified by the ground.

Photo by Ehrecke on Pixabay

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture has an impact on water pollution due to the use of chemicals such as
fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or insecticides running off in the
water, as well as livestock excrement, manure and methane (greenhouse effect).
Regarding aquaculture, pollution is directly in the water, as excess food and
fertilizers are causing dystrophication..

how the types of water pollution mentioned above are affecting

mumbai

The world’s water resources are under increasing threat from the impacts of
climate change, population growth, and pollution. As the global population grows,
a persistent challenge is how to access enough water to meet humanity’s needs
while also preserving the integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The Pacific Institute
works on water resource issues around the globe, collaborating with stakeholders
to ensure communities and nature have the water they need to thrive now and in
the future. Internationally, the Institute promotes source water protection and
“green infrastructure” solutions in order to increase the climate resiliency of
water systems and improve ecosystem function. The Institute collects, catalogues,
and shares good practice examples of nature-based solutions; catalyzes
investment in green infrastructure projects; and connects stakeholders with a
common interest in advancing nature-based solutions. In California, the Institute
has played an active role at the Salton Sea for more than two decades,
emphasizing the importance of the sea and the negative consequences of failing
to act on its behalf. The Institute has produced leading reports on the sea,
developed restoration concepts, participated on the state’s Salton Sea Advisory
Committee, and continues to work actively with state agencies and local
stakeholders to get real habitat constructed on the ground to benefit at-risk
species and to diminish the amount of dust blowing off of the sea’s exposed
lakebed. The Institute has engaged in Colorado River research and decision-
making for more than twenty years, from early reports on climate change impacts
on the basin, to a 1996 report on sustainable use of the river, to policy proposals
for surplus and shortage criteria and the ongoing Basin Study. We have developed
pragmatic, feasible solutions to the problems that challenge the river, for the
people, fish, and wildlife that depend upon it. Our Colorado River work has also
included place-specific research and restoration proposals for the Salton Sea, the
Laguna Reach, and the limitrophe reach of the River.

Various Causes of Water Pollution

1. Industrial Waste
Industries produce a tremendous amount of waste, which contains toxic
chemicals and pollutants, causing air pollution and damage to our environment
and us. They contain harmful chemicals, including lead, mercury, sulfur, nitrates,
asbestos, and many others.

Many industries, not having a proper waste management system, drain the waste
in the freshwater, which goes into canals, rivers, and later into the sea.

The toxic chemicals may change the color of water, increase the number of
minerals, called eutrophication, change the temperature of the water, and pose a
severe hazard to water organisms.
2. Sewage and Wastewater
The sewage and wastewater that is produced in each household are treated
chemically and released into the sea along with fresh water. The sewage water
carries pathogens, a typical water pollutant, other harmful bacterias, and
chemicals that can cause serious health problems and thereby diseases.

Microorganisms in water are known to cause some of the very deadly diseases
and become the breeding grounds for creatures that act as carriers. These carriers
inflict these diseases onto an individual via various forms of contact. A typical
example would be Malaria.
3. Mining Activities
Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other minerals
from the underground. These elements, when extracted in the raw form, contain
harmful chemicals and can increase the number of toxic elements when mixed up
with water, which may result in health problems. Mining activities emit a large
amount of metal waste and sulfides from the rocks, which is harmful to the water.

4. Marine Dumping
The garbage produced by households in the form of paper, plastic, food,
aluminum, rubber, glass, is collected and dumped into the sea in some countries.
These items take 2 weeks to 200 years to decompose. When such things enter the
sea, they not only cause water pollution but also harm animals in the sea.

5. Accidental Oil Leakage

Oil spill poses a huge threat to marine life when a large amount of oil spills into
the sea and does not dissolve in water. It causes problems for local marine
wildlife, including fish, birds, and sea ottersA ship carrying a large quantity of oil
may spill oil if met with an accident. Such an oil spill can cause varying damage to
species in the ocean, depending on the amount of oil spill, the toxicity of
pollutants, and the size of the ocean.
. Effects of water pollution on plants and animals
Increase in toxic substances
Due to water pollution, the river Ganga which is regarded by Indians as a sacred
river in which they take a holy dip to purify themselves has also become highly
polluted. The same is true of Yamuna, Gomati, Chambal as well as Jhelum rivers. If
today, the river Hooghly is considered among the most polluted rivers in the
world, it is only due to water pollution. Some time ago, the water in the Gomati
River in Lucknow had become so polluted and toxic at one time that dead fish
floating all through it had become a common scenario.

Harming growth of aquatic plants

Aquatic plants get severely affected due to water pollution. Due to plethora of
moss in the polluted water of the rivers, the sun light fails to reach to the depths
of the river which affects the growth of aquatic plants in the lack of
photosynthesis. In the polluted water of the rivers, some aquatic weed as aquatic
ferns and water hyacinth start increasing. Similarly, the sewage water getting
mixed into the water of the rivers, helps in the increase of fungus, algae, bacteria,
etc which start to erupt faster.

Suffocating aquatic creatures

Increasing pollution in the sea and oceanic areas has become a threat. Polluted
water makes the life of aquatic organism miserable. Water pollution reduces the
level of oxygen in it. According to a survey in most of the rivers, the amount of
oxygen in a litre of water has decreased to 0.1 cubic centimetre only, while this
average in 1940 was around 2.5 cubic centimetres.