Water pollution occurs when a body of water is adversely affected due to the addition of large amounts of materials to the water. The sources of water pollution are categorized as being a point source or a non-source point of pollution. Point sources of pollution occur when the polluting substance is emitted directly into the waterway. A pipe spewing toxic chemicals directly into a river is an example. A non-point source occurs when there is runoff of pollutants into a waterway, for instance when fertilizer from a field is carried into a stream by surface runoff.
Water pollution is caused by pollutants, mostly in form of different chemicals that are discharged either directly or indirectly into the water bodies without the adequate treatment to remove their harmful effects. Water pollution is not only huge ecological problem but also huge health problem. It is believed that water pollution is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases responsible for around 15,000 deaths each day.
Water pollution is especially serious issue in two fast growing economies, China and India. Some latest reports suggest that more than 500 million Chinese lack access to safe drinking water while in India 700 million people have no access to proper toilet. Example causes of water pollution vary and may be both natural and anthropogenic. However, the most common causes of water pollution are the anthropogenic ones including:
- Agriculture runoff Carrying fertilizers, pesticides/insecticides/herbicides and other pollutants into water bodies such as lakes, rivers, ponds). The usual effect of this type of pollution consists in algae growing in affected water bodies. This is a sign of increased nitrates and phosphates in water that could be harmful for Human health.
- Storm water runoff Carrying various oils, petroleum products and other contaminants from urban and rural areas (ditches). These usually forms sheens on the water surface.
- Leaking sewer lines May add trihalomethanes (such as chloroform) as well as other contaminants into groundwater ending up contaminating surface water, too. Discharges of chlorinated solvents from Dry Cleaners to sewer lines are also a recognized source of water pollution with these persistent and harmful solvents.
Knowing about water pollution facts also helps to combat the problems by offering practical solutions that are easy to follow and implement. By sweeping a driveway clean instead of washing it with water pollutants are not carried into the water supply. When rivers get too much plant growth it can cause the fish to die due to lack of oxygen. A good way to prevent this is to make sure that lawn clippings and garden wastes that may contain fertilizers get used for compost and don’t end up in the streams. By knowing what water pollution facts are it is easier to find solutions to the problems.
Water Pollution Solutions are charity begins at home, enforcing existing laws, stop deforestation, preventing oil spills , and prevent emissions. These were just a few of the possible solutions for water pollution. If we don't implement water pollution solutions and do something soon about this major environmental issue, that's flooding our thoughts, draining us of our sleep, and drowning us in an ocean of worry, then we needn't wait till 2012 for the world to end - because, the rate at which things are going, it will end much before that.
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