Water's Self-Pollution: Is It Possible?

Water pollution is a pressing issue that poses a threat to human health, the environment, and the economy. It occurs when harmful substances, such as toxic waste, petroleum, and disease-causing microorganisms, contaminate bodies of water, degrading water quality and rendering it unsafe for human use and damaging aquatic ecosystems. This introduction will explore the causes and impacts of water pollution, highlighting the importance of addressing this global challenge.

Sewage and wastewater

In developed countries, sewage is quickly and hygienically carried away from homes through sewage pipes. While most sewage is biodegradable and can be broken down in the environment, it often causes problems when people flush chemical and pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. Additionally, when people are ill, sewage can carry harmful viruses and bacteria into the environment, causing health issues.

Wastewater also includes stormwater runoff, which occurs when rainfall carries road salts, oil, grease, chemicals, and debris from impermeable surfaces into waterways. This can further contribute to water pollution and impact the quality of water in rivers, lakes, and oceans.

According to the United Nations, more than 80% of the world's wastewater flows back into the environment without proper treatment or reuse. This issue is even more pronounced in least-developed countries, with figures exceeding 95%. The release of untreated wastewater can have significant negative impacts on human health, the environment, and the economy.

Oil leaks and spills

Oil spills can harm sea creatures, ruin beaches, and make seafood unsafe to eat. Oil spills can also cause long-lasting damage to ecosystems and economies. Oil spills can change the temperature of freshwater systems, making them dangerous for aquatic organisms. Oil spills can also cause "fouling or oiling", where oil physically harms a plant or animal, such as coating a bird's wings and leaving it unable to fly. Oil toxicity can also cause severe health problems for animals, including heart damage, stunted growth, immune system issues, and even death.

The largest marine oil spill in U.S. history was the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, which released over 4 million barrels of oil into the ocean. The U.S. Coast Guard is the primary agency responsible for cleaning up oil spills, while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides scientific support.

While large oil spills are a significant concern, consumers account for the majority of oil pollution in the seas, including oil and gasoline that drips from vehicles. Nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil that enters marine environments each year comes from land-based sources such as factories, farms, and cities, rather than tanker spills.

Radioactive waste

Radioactive isotopes can enter water supplies through mining, fracking, and other human activities. Health advocates have called for tighter controls on these activities as they increase the levels of harmful isotopes in water. According to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG), drinking water for more than 170 million Americans in all 50 states contains radioactive elements that may increase the risk of cancer. California has the highest number of residents affected by radiation in their drinking water, followed by Texas, where about 80% of the population is served by water utilities reporting detectable levels of radium.

Plastics and garbage

Plastics and other garbage are significant contributors to water pollution. Plastic pollution is a global crisis, with an estimated 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste entering aquatic ecosystems and polluting lakes, rivers, and seas annually. This pollution is caused by single-use plastic products such as bottles, caps, shopping bags, cups, and straws, which constitute a large portion of the world's plastic waste.

Plastic waste has severe environmental, social, and economic impacts. It alters habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems' ability to adapt to climate change and threatening biodiversity. For instance, plastic debris can entangle marine species or be ingested, leading to starvation as their stomachs become filled with indigestible material. Nearly 2,100 species, including endangered ones, are affected by plastics.

Plastics also pose a threat to human health. Microplastics, formed when plastic waste breaks down into small particles, have been found in drinking water systems, the air, and even human blood, livers, kidneys, placentas, and faeces. The tiny particles can pass through the digestive system, but they have also been found to block digestive tracts or pierce organs, causing death. Additionally, chemicals in plastics can leach into tap water, potentially causing developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders.

The production and disposal of plastics contribute to climate change. In 2019, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimated that plastic products were responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions throughout their life cycles, with 90% of these emissions coming from the production process. The World Economic Forum projects that without intervention, the global plastics industry will account for 20% of total oil consumption and up to 15% of global carbon emissions by 2050.

The problem of plastic pollution is exacerbated by inadequate waste management systems, particularly in developing Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems may be inefficient or non-existent. However, even in developed countries with low recycling rates, properly collecting discarded plastics can be challenging.

To address plastic pollution, systemic change is necessary. This includes improving waste management and recycling infrastructure, redesigning products to consider the short life of disposable packaging, and reducing the manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics. A global plastics treaty is also essential to reduce plastic production, phase out harmful subsidies, and eliminate harmful products and chemicals.

Industrial waste

The production of all kinds of industrial goods generates wastewater that can be contaminated with toxic substances. This wastewater usually contains specific and readily identifiable chemical compounds. In the US, the amount of hazardous waste generated by manufacturing industries in the country has increased from an estimated 4.5 million tons annually after World War II to some 57 million tons by 1975. By 1990, this total had shot up to approximately 265 million tons.

The introduction of many new products for the home and office, such as computers, drugs, textiles, paints and dyes, and plastics, has also introduced hazardous waste, including toxic chemicals, into the environment. These must be managed with extreme care to avoid adverse environmental or human health impacts.

In Europe, there have been strict limits for decades that industries must observe when discharging wastewater. The wastewater must be treated or clarified before it can be discharged into the sewage system or rivers. However, in emerging countries such as China, India, Africa, or South America, environmental policy has not yet reached this stage. Although there are laws against water pollution in the US, they do not cover all types of industrial wastewater pollution. According to an official American study from 2009, about 44% of assessed streams, 64% of lakes, and 30% of bays and estuaries are still classified as polluted.

Two types of industrial waste of particular concern are dry cleaning fluids and embalming fluids. Dry cleaning fluids have contaminated groundwater supplies in all areas of the US. One of the most common contaminants is PCE (perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene), which is a suspected carcinogen. Cemeteries can also be a source of groundwater contamination caused by embalming fluids, which include carcinogens.

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