
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies that has a negative impact on their uses. It is usually a result of human activities and can be caused by a plethora of different contaminants, including toxic waste, petroleum, disease-causing microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, parasites, fertilisers, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, nitrates, phosphates, plastics, faecal waste and even radioactive substances.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Pathogenic microorganisms | Bacteria, viruses, parasites |
Putrescible organic waste | Fertilisers and plant nutrients |
Toxic chemicals | Nitrates, phosphates, pesticides |
Sediments | Plastics |
Heat | Faecal waste |
Petroleum (oil) | Radioactive substances |
Sewage | Algae growth |
Industrial activities | Oil spills |
Agricultural activities | Eutrophic “dead zones” |
Urban runoff including stormwater | Disease-causing microorganisms |
What You'll Learn
Pathogenic microorganisms
Pathogens can be bacteria, viruses, or parasites that can cause diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and poliomyelitis. These diseases can be fatal and are a major public health concern in many parts of the world.
Pathogens can also be spread through contaminated water that is used for drinking or irrigation. This can lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases in communities that rely on this water source.
Pathogens can be invisibly present in water, making it difficult to detect and treat. This can make it challenging to prevent the spread of disease and protect public health.
To reduce the spread of pathogens, it is important to implement proper wastewater treatment and sanitation practices in communities and water bodies. This can help to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases and protect public health.
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Putrescible organic waste
To prevent water pollution from putrescible organic waste, it is important to dispose of it properly and treat it before releasing it into the water. This can be done through sewage treatment and waste management practices. Additionally, reducing the amount of putrescible organic waste generated can also help to reduce water pollution.
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Fertilisers and plant nutrients
Water pollution is the addition of substances or energy forms that alter the nature of the water body in such a way that it negatively affects its legitimate uses. Water pollution can be caused by a plethora of different contaminants, including fertilisers and plant nutrients.
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Industrial activities
Water pollution is the addition of substances or energy forms that alter the nature of a water body in a way that negatively affects its legitimate uses. Water pollution is usually a result of human activities and can be caused by a plethora of different contaminants, including toxic waste, petroleum, and disease-causing microorganisms.
Water bodies can be polluted by a wide variety of substances, including pathogenic microorganisms, putrescible organic waste, fertilizers and plant nutrients, toxic chemicals, sediments, heat, petroleum (oil), and radioactive substances. Industrial activities are a main source of water pollutants and can include sewage discharges, toxic waste, petroleum, and disease-causing microorganisms.
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.
Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater.
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Sewage discharges
Water pollution is the addition of substances or energy forms that directly or indirectly alter the nature of the water body in such a manner that negatively affects its legitimate uses. Water pollution is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. Water pollution results when contaminants mix with these water bodies. Contaminants can come from one of four main sources. These are sewage discharges, industrial activities, agricultural activities, and urban runoff including stormwater. Water pollution may affect either surface water or groundwater. This form of pollution can lead to many problems. One is the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. Another is spreading water-borne diseases when people use polluted water for drinking or irrigation.
Water bodies can be polluted by a wide variety of substances, including pathogenic microorganisms, putrescible organic waste, fertilizers and plant nutrients, toxic chemicals, sediments, heat, petroleum (oil), and radioactive substances. Sewage can promote algae growth, which can eventually result in eutrophic “dead zones” where aquatic life cannot survive because of a lack of oxygen.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that polluted water is water whose composition has been changed to the extent that it is unusable. In other words, it is toxic water that cannot be drunk or used for essential purposes like agriculture, and which also causes diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and poliomyelitis that kill more than 500,000 people worldwide every year.
The main water pollutants include bacteria, viruses, parasites, fertilisers, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, nitrates, phosphates, plastics, faecal waste and even radioactive substances. These substances do not always change the colour of the water, meaning that they are often invisible pollutants.
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. Oil spills are another source of water pollution that have devastating impacts on surrounding ecosystems.
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Frequently asked questions
Water pollution is the addition of substances or energy forms that alter the nature of the water body in such a manner that negatively affects its legitimate uses.
Water pollution is typically caused by anthropogenic contaminants that come from one of four main sources: sewage discharges, industrial activities, agricultural activities, and urban runoff including stormwater.
Water pollution can lead to many problems, including the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and spreading water-borne diseases when people use polluted water for drinking or irrigation.