Human Water Pollution: Harmful Acts And Their Impact

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, chemicals, and microorganisms, contaminate bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and oceans. This contamination can render water toxic and unsafe for human use, disrupting aquatic ecosystems and causing negative health and economic consequences. Human activities, such as industrial waste discharge, sewage, oil spills, and the use of pesticides, are major contributors to water pollution. Understanding and addressing these human impacts on water quality is crucial for mitigating the adverse effects of water pollution on our planet and its inhabitants.

Industrial waste

The production of industrial goods generates wastewater that can be contaminated with toxic substances. This wastewater is often released back into bodies of water due to a lack of infrastructure or regulation, polluting lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. Many industrial sites produce waste in the form of toxic chemicals and pollutants, and though regulated, some still do not have proper waste management systems in place. In rare cases, industrial waste is dumped into nearby freshwater systems. When industrial waste is not treated properly, or not treated at all, it can easily pollute the freshwater systems that it comes into contact with.

The types of industrial waste generated include cafeteria garbage, dirt and gravel, masonry and concrete, scrap metals, trash, oil, solvents, chemicals, weed grass and trees, wood and scrap lumber, and similar wastes.

In Europe, there are strict limits that industries must observe when discharging wastewater into public networks. As a result, wastewater must be treated or clarified before being discharged into the sewage system or rivers. However, in emerging countries such as China, India, Africa, or South America, environmental policies are not as stringent, and the illegal discharge of wastewater from industries into rivers and lakes is common.

To prevent water pollution from industries, effective policies and their enforcement are necessary. Additionally, controlled industrial growth, investment in sustainable technologies, and managed waste disposal and treatment are crucial.

Sewage and wastewater

In the US, wastewater treatment facilities process approximately 34 billion gallons of wastewater daily. These facilities reduce pollutants like pathogens, phosphorus, nitrogen, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals in industrial waste before discharging the treated water back into waterways. However, the US also has aging sewage treatment systems that release over 850 billion gallons of untreated wastewater annually.

The UK, for example, has been plagued by sewage and agricultural pollution, with a recent report labelling its rivers as a dangerous "chemical cocktail" of sewage, agricultural waste, and plastic. The country's antiquated sewerage system relies on a network of around 18,000 licensed sewer overflows to discharge raw sewage into rivers and the ocean. This has resulted in the UK ranking last in Europe for bathing water quality, with only 14% of its rivers meeting good ecological standards.

The impact of sewage and wastewater pollution extends beyond the contamination of water sources. It also poses risks to human health, the environment, and the economy. Sewage pollution can cause harmful algal blooms, depriving water of oxygen and leading to the death of aquatic species. It further endangers water users, making them susceptible to viruses and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Oil leaks and spills

Oil spills in the ocean can be caused by oil drilling operations or ships transporting oil. Oil tanker accidents, in particular, are considered a major ecological threat due to the large amount of oil spilled per accident and the proximity of major sea traffic routes to Large Marine Ecosystems. Oil spills can also occur on land, though these are easier to contain as oil does not spread as quickly.

Oil spills can have severe environmental, economic, and social consequences. They can contaminate drinking water supplies, as well as harm marine wildlife and human health. Oil penetrates the structure of the plumage of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing its insulating ability and making them more vulnerable to temperature changes and less buoyant in the water. Oil can also impair a bird's ability to fly and can cause respiratory and reproductive problems, liver damage, and immune system damage in humans.

Cleanup and recovery from an oil spill are difficult and expensive, and the process can take weeks, months, or even years. Physical cleanups were the norm until the 1960s, when it was discovered that high-pressure, hot-water hoses used to clean up beaches caused more damage than the oil alone. Today, chemical remediation is the norm, using compounds that can herd and thicken oil for physical recovery, disperse oil in the water, or facilitate burning the oil off.

Pesticides and herbicides

Pesticides are potentially toxic to humans and can have acute and chronic health effects, depending on the quantity and the way a person is exposed. They can affect the nervous system, irritate the skin or eyes, and some are carcinogenic. They can also have detrimental effects on the environment, with their use leading to the development of resistant strains of pests and insects.

The use of pesticides and herbicides is particularly prevalent in the agricultural industry, which uses about 70% of the world's freshwater resources. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), global pesticide usage totalled nearly 6 billion pounds in 2011 and 2012, with herbicides accounting for approximately 50% of this.

The contamination of water sources by pesticides and herbicides is a widespread issue, with a recent study finding that 25 pesticides were detected more than 10% of the time in surface waters and 2% of the time in groundwater. This is a serious concern as it can lead to an increase in water treatment costs, making drinking water more expensive.

There are ways to reduce the risk of pesticide and herbicide contamination, such as proper storage and disposal of these chemicals, as well as implementing best management practices (BMPs) such as reduced tillage or zero tillage systems. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are also being used as a water purification technology to treat water containing pesticides and other pollutants.

Radioactive waste

• Ion exchange: This method uses ions on an ion exchanger to separate and extract certain ions from the wastewater.
• Chemical precipitation: This method co-precipitates the precipitant and radionuclides in the wastewater, reducing the specific activity of the radioactive wastewater.
• Evaporative concentration: This method heats the radioactive wastewater to evaporate the water, leaving behind the non-volatile radionuclides for further treatment.
• Adsorption: This method uses porous adsorbent materials to remove radionuclides from the wastewater.
• Membrane separation: This method uses membranes with selective separation capabilities to purify, concentrate, and separate the radioactive wastewater.
• Biological treatment: This method uses plants or microbial cells to remove radionuclides through biotransformation, biosorption, bioaccumulation, sedimentation, and solubilization mechanisms.
• Photocatalysis: This method uses solar energy to convert chemical energy in the presence of a photocatalyst, which can interact with reactants and undergo redox reactions.

The treatment of radioactive wastewater aims to reduce the volume of radioactive waste, minimize potential environmental hazards, recover valuable materials, and ensure the sustainable development of nuclear energy.

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