Meghan Hodges
Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems. Domestic water pollution is mainly caused by uncontrolled dumping of sewage from homes, food processing, and other sources into waterways. Sewage contains human waste, organic materials, and other pollutants. When discharged in large volumes, it leads to depletion of oxygen in the water, promotion of algal growth which also depletes oxygen, and spread of infectious diseases through contaminated water.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems. |
| Causes | Uncontrolled dumping of waste collected from villages, towns and cities, sewage, food processing, toxic waste, petroleum, disease-causing microorganisms, oil spills |
| Effects | Depletion of oxygen, promotion of algal growth, spread of infections/diseases, eutrophic “dead zones” |
| Substances | Chemicals, human excreta, soaps, organic materials, different types of solids, waste food, oil detergents, paper, cloth |
Sewage dumping
Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that make water unsafe for human use and disrupt aquatic ecosystems. Domestic water pollution is mainly caused by the uncontrolled dumping of sewage from homes, food processing, and other sources into waterways. Sewage contains human waste, organic materials, and other pollutants. When discharged in large volumes, it leads to depletion of oxygen in the water as bacteria decompose organic matter, promotion of algal growth which also depletes oxygen, and spread of infectious diseases through contaminated water. Microorganisms in sewage-contaminated water can cause illnesses like hepatitis, cholera, and diarrhea when consumed. Domestic sewage is a primary source of water pollution.
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Algal growth
Sewage is the water-borne waste derived from home, animal or food processing plants and includes human excreta, soaps, organic materials, different types of solids, waste food, oil detergents, paper and cloth. It is the largest group of water pollutants. Domestic sewage is a primary source of water pollution and contributes to the largest amount of waste.
Sewage contains human waste, organic materials and other pollutants. When discharged in large volumes, it leads to depletion of oxygen in the water as bacteria decompose organic matter, promotion of algal growth which also depletes oxygen, and spread of infectious diseases through contaminated water. Microorganisms in sewage-contaminated water can cause illnesses like hepatitis, cholera and diarrhea when consumed.
Algae withdraw large quantities of oxygen from water, which becomes detrimental to other organisms. Phosphates, a major ingredient of most detergents, support the luxurious growth of algae. Oil spills are another source of water pollution that have devastating impacts on surrounding ecosystems.
Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems. Water pollution can be caused by a plethora of different contaminants, including toxic waste, petroleum, and disease-causing microorganisms. Human activities that generate domestic sewage and toxic waste cause water pollution by contaminating water with disease-causing microorganisms and poisonous substances.
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Oxygen depletion
Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that make water unsafe for human use and disrupt aquatic ecosystems. Water pollution can be caused by a plethora of different contaminants, including toxic waste, petroleum, and disease-causing microorganisms. Human activities that generate domestic sewage and toxic waste cause water pollution by contaminating water with disease-causing microorganisms and poisonous substances.
Sewage is defined as the water-borne waste derived from home, animal or food processing plants and includes human excreta, soaps, organic materials, different types of solids, waste food, oil detergents, paper and cloth. Sewage contains human waste, organic materials, and other pollutants. When discharged in large volumes, it leads to three issues: 1) depletion of oxygen in the water as bacteria decompose organic matter, 2) promotion of algal growth which also depletes oxygen, and 3) spread of infectious diseases through contaminated water. Microorganisms in sewage-contaminated water can cause illnesses like hepatitis, cholera, and diarrhea when consumed.
Domestic waters are the primary sources of water pollution. The domestic sewage contributes to the largest amount of waste. A major ingredient of most detergents is phosphate. Phosphates support the luxurious growth of algae. Algae withdraw large quantities of oxygen from water. It becomes detrimental to other organisms.
Sewage can promote algae growth, which can eventually result in eutrophic “dead zones" where aquatic life cannot survive because of a lack of oxygen. Algal growth is promoted by phosphates which support the luxurious growth of algae. Algae withdraw large quantities of oxygen from water. It becomes detrimental to other organisms.
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Disease spread
Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that make water unsafe for human use and disrupt aquatic ecosystems. Water pollution can be caused by a plethora of different contaminants, including toxic waste, petroleum, and disease-causing microorganisms. Human activities that generate domestic sewage and toxic waste cause water pollution by contaminating water with disease-causing microorganisms and poisonous substances.
Sewage is defined as the water-borne waste derived from home, animal or food processing plants and includes human excreta, soaps, organic materials, different types of solids, waste food, oil detergents, paper and cloth. They are the largest group of water pollutants.
When discharged in large volumes, sewage leads to depletion of oxygen in the water as bacteria decompose organic matter, promotion of algal growth which also depletes oxygen, and spread of infectious diseases through contaminated water. Microorganisms in sewage-contaminated water can cause illnesses like hepatitis, cholera, and diarrhea when consumed. Domestic sewage is a primary source of water pollution.
Oil spills are another source of water pollution that have devastating impacts on surrounding ecosystems. Algae growth can eventually result in eutrophic “dead zones" where aquatic life cannot survive because of a lack of oxygen.
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Waterborne waste
Uncontrolled dumping of waterborne waste from homes, food processing, and other sources into waterways is a primary cause of water pollution. When discharged in large volumes, it leads to depletion of oxygen in the water as bacteria decompose organic matter, promotion of algal growth which also depletes oxygen, and spread of infectious diseases through contaminated water. Microorganisms in sewage-contaminated water can cause illnesses like hepatitis, cholera, and diarrhea when consumed.
- Depletion of Oxygen Contents
- Promotion of Algal Growth
- Spread of Infections/Diseases
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Frequently asked questions
Domestic water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems.
Domestic water pollution is mainly caused by uncontrolled dumping of sewage from homes, food processing, and other sources into waterways. Sewage contains human waste, organic materials, and other pollutants.
When discharged in large volumes, domestic sewage leads to depletion of oxygen in the water as bacteria decompose organic matter, promotion of algal growth which also depletes oxygen, and spread of infectious diseases through contaminated water.
