Water pollution
Water pollution is the harmful pollution of bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, seas, the oceans, as well as groundwater.[1] It occurs when pollutants reach these bodies of water, without treatment. Waste from homes, factories and other buildings get into the water bodies and as a result water gets polluted.
Water pollution is a problem for the species and ecosystems there. It affects plants and organisms living in the water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the wider biological communities. The color is usually green or brown but normal water can be blue.
Agriculture is one of the major sources of water pollution. The fertilizers given to the crops for better growth are washed into rivers and lakes, which in turn pollutes the water.
There are many chemicals that are naturally found in these bodies of water. Today water may be polluted by nitrates, phosphates, oil, acid rain, and debris such as sediment, fallen logs and so on. When people and animals drink water from such rivers, the poisonous chemicals may affect them. Life in rivers is also affected, and humans who consume fish may also have health problems.
Water Pollution Media
Poster to teach people in South Asia about human activities leading to the pollution of water sources
Bauxite residue is an industrial waste that is dangerously alkaline and can lead to water pollution if not managed appropriately (photo from Stade, Germany).
Muddy river polluted by sediment
Solid waste and plastics in the Lachine Canal, Canada
The Brayton Point Power Station in Massachusetts discharged heated water to Mount Hope Bay until 2011.
A polluted river draining an abandoned copper mine on Anglesey
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a global pollutant that has been found in drinking water. It appears not to biodegrade.
Environmental scientists preparing water autosamplers
Oxygen depletion, resulting from nitrogen pollution and eutrophication, is a common cause of fish kills.
Related pages
References
- ↑ "Freshwater 101: Pollution". National Geographic. 2010-03-16. Archived from the original on 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-08-21.