Helena Joyce
Water is one of the most important things on Earth for humans and animals to survive. Unfortunately, it is also very easy to pollute. Water pollution is when waste, chemicals, or other particles make water harmful to the fish and animals that need it to survive. Water pollution can also be dangerous for humans. It can happen naturally, like when volcanoes erupt, or because of human activity, like when factories dump waste into rivers or the ocean. There are many ways that water gets polluted, and many ways that we can help to stop it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Human Causes | Sewage, pesticides and fertilizers from farms, wastewater and chemicals from factories, silt from construction sites, trash from littering, oil spills, industrial waste, farm animal waste, herbicides, microplastics, chemical dumping, thermal pollution |
| Natural Causes | Volcanoes, algae blooms, animal waste, silt from storms and floods, mercury from the Earth's crust |
| Effects | Lack of oxygen in the water, contamination of the food chain, lack of potable water, diseases, infant mortality, negative economic impact |
Sewage and human waste
Wastewater can contain harmful chemicals, bacteria, and viruses that are dangerous to humans and animals. These are called pathogens. They can make people very sick and even kill them. Some diseases caused by dirty water include cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Even in rich countries, sewage treatment facilities sometimes release wastewater that is not properly cleaned. This is called sewage overflow or untreated wastewater.
Sewage overflow happens when there is too much rainwater, and it mixes with sewage in the pipes. Old pipes can also break and leak sewage into the environment. In some places, sewage still goes directly into rivers and streams without being treated. This happens a lot in less developed countries, but it also used to happen in America a long time ago.
To make sure this doesn't happen, we need to update old pipes and build better systems for treating sewage. We also need to be careful about how we use water and not waste it. This will help reduce the amount of sewage that needs to be treated. It is important to learn about water pollution so that we can protect our health and the environment.
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Industrial waste
Water pollution is when waste, chemicals, or other particles make a body of water (i.e. rivers, oceans, lakes) harmful to the fish and animals that need the water to survive. Water pollution can also harm people.
Industries and factories are some of the biggest water polluters. The production of industrial goods generates wastewater that is contaminated with toxic substances. This wastewater is sometimes dumped into rivers or the ocean. Industries account for about 20% of the freshwater used worldwide, and in some areas, this water is discharged untreated into nearby public waters.
In Europe, there are strict limits on how much wastewater industries can discharge into public water sources. However, in other parts of the world, such as China, India, Africa, or South America, the number of industrial plants has grown rapidly, and environmental policies have not kept up. As a result, the illegal discharge of untreated wastewater from industries into rivers and lakes is common.
These hazardous substances can have serious consequences for the environment. Many of them are difficult to biodegrade and accumulate in water sediments, harming fish, crustaceans, and other creatures. They can also get into the groundwater, which is used for drinking water, and contaminate it.
To address water pollution from industrial waste, proper wastewater treatment and disposal are essential. Some regions have implemented policies to reduce water pollution, such as the EU's 'Zero Pollution Action Plan'. Regular water monitoring is also crucial to sustaining clean water sources.
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Oil spills
Water pollution happens when waste, chemicals, or other harmful particles contaminate bodies of water like rivers, oceans, and lakes. This can be caused by both natural and human activities. Natural causes of water pollution include volcanoes, algae blooms, animal waste, and silt from storms and floods.
Now, let's focus on oil spills as a specific and significant form of water pollution.
To prevent oil spills, it's important to reduce our reliance on oil. This can be done by using alternative energy sources and fuels. Additionally, everyone can play a part by organizing or supporting fundraisers for organizations like the Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, and local animal rescue centers, which are dedicated to cleaning up oil spills and protecting marine life. By working together, we can help minimize the occurrence of oil spills and protect our precious water sources.
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Farm waste
Water pollution happens when harmful substances, often chemicals or microorganisms, contaminate a body of water, like a river, lake, or ocean. This contamination can make the water toxic for humans, fish, and other animals.
Farms and factories are some of the biggest polluters of water. Farms discharge large amounts of agrochemicals, organic matter, drug residues, sediments, and saline drainage into water bodies. The waste from farms is high in nutrients, including nitrates, which have become the most common contaminant in the world's groundwater aquifers.
Factory farms, where thousands of animals are kept in a small area, produce a lot of waste. This waste can get into the water supply through the runoff of rain and large storms. The waste from these farms is also rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. When these nutrients get into the water, they can cause algal blooms, which are areas of water where there is a high concentration of algae. While algae are important to the ecosystem, too much of it can cause problems. For example, when algae die, they are consumed by bacteria which use up the oxygen in the water, leaving little for fish and other animals.
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Storms and floods
Floods can pick up and carry lots of different things, like sediment (mud), debris (bits of broken things), nutrients (like fertilizers), toxic materials, and bacteria. All of these things can make people and animals very sick if they drink or swim in the water. Floods can also carry sewage (yucky human waste) into rivers and lakes, which can introduce harmful bacteria and make people and animals ill.
Sometimes, storms and floods are made worse by human activities, like burning fossil fuels. This is when we burn things like coal and oil to create energy. These activities can also make the water more polluted, which means it's even more dangerous for people, plants, and animals. It's important to be careful and not make the problem worse!
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Frequently asked questions
Water pollution is when waste, chemicals, or other particles make water harmful to the fish and animals that need it to survive.
Water pollution can happen through natural causes like volcanoes, algae blooms, and animal waste. It can also be caused by humans through sewage, pesticides, fertilizers, chemicals, and waste from factories, construction sites, and littering.
Sewage is waste from humans and animals that contains harmful bacteria and viruses. This waste can get into water systems and make people and animals very sick.
Oil spills, such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska, are famous incidents of water pollution. Another example is the lead contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan, caused by cost-cutting measures and aging water infrastructure.
Water pollution can make water unsafe for drinking and can harm aquatic life by reducing their lifespan and ability to reproduce. It can also cause diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery, which can be dangerous for humans and animals alike.
