Fiji National University

College of Humanities and Education

School of Communication, Language & Literature
LNG501 English for Academic Studies
Assignment 3 Sample Research Assignment Paper

Topic: How Does Water Pollution Affects the Environment?

1.0 Introduction
Introduce research topic:
Water pollution has a disastrous effect on our environment. Our ecosystem is affected by
every level of water contamination. Humans are the causes of most of the pollution in our
waterway. Some of the effects of water pollution are water is no longer drinkable the water
source becomes toxic .wildlife and marine life can ingest and die from the contaminants.
Water pollution also leads to waterborne diseases such as ringworm leptospirosis diarrhoea
and many more. Water pollution affects our ecosystems. Many areas are now being affected
by careless human pollution.
2.0 Summary and Evaluation
2.1 Source 1:
Source Details: Marine Dumping, Safe Drinking Water Foundation, 2017,
Short summary of source: marine dumping is disposal at sea of wastes from aircraft,
platforms, vessels, and other man-made structures. It also destroys habitat for aquatic species
and causes coastal erosion, which affects the health of the marine environment. Marine
mammal’s example whales, dolphins, and other fish are at high risk of ingestion of plastic
refuse. The ocean catches almost all the water in the world. Developed areas like parking lots
implement runoff to occur at a much higher than the naturally absorbent field. Driving a car
or making a house warm can leak 28 million gallons of oil into lakes, streams, and rivers. For
centuries, seafarers threw their litter into the drink. In those days, trash was made up of
natural material that decomposed with no harm to wildlife. Today, litter is an enormous
ecological problem, but one we can solve so easily.
Short evaluation:
The article used is current, not biased and uses evidence
2.2 Source 2:

1
Source Details: Agricultural Practice Impacts, Cengage, 2020,
Short summary of source: land is being used to grow crops for thousands of years. The
effect of agricultural land on the environment was minimal when the agriculture involved
family farms and the care of the land. However, the use of pesticides has grown more
prevalent, agricultural practices have become more damaging to the environment since the
farms have become larger and more mechanized. Clearing the land can increase the erosion
of soil, and the runoff of pesticides can poison watercourses and even contaminate
underground water supplies. Not only does this damage the local ecosystems, but the massive
loss of forests is affecting the global climate. During the height of the Industrial Revolution,
around the 1850s, mechanization was introduced to farming, which increased crop production
markedly. At around this time fertilizers and pesticides began to be manufactured, but they
were not extensively used until the early twentieth century. Although the use of pesticides
and fertilizers has been reduced by some farmers, they are still commonly employed.
Organically raised crops and the lessened use of antibiotics as a growth supplement in cattle
have reduced environmental damage in developed countries. In addition, agricultural
practices such as planting different crops in different growing seasons, having fields lay
fallow for a time, and planting stands of trees to act as a wind block help maintain soil
fertility.

Short evaluation: the source used is current, uses evidence and is convincing
Source 3:
Source Details: How does the law protect rivers in Fiji from pollution?, Filimone
Tuivanualevu, 2017
Short summary of source: access to clean water for drinking and bathing, and clean oceans
and rivers are essential for Pacific Islanders. Water and ocean pollution can take away the
basis of people’s livelihood, survival, and lifestyle. The negative cost of industrialization,
modernization and unsustainable development has resulted in pollutants being deposited into
our rivers and coastal areas. The Qawa River has been a well-known victim of pollution for
many years that is caused by the deposit of waste and by-product into the river by the
operation of the Labasa sugar mill. Individuals who highly rely on Qawa River for food
security and transportation have raised this issue of the pollution of the river and the serious
impacts and consequences that it has for their lives and the natural resources in the river. As
is being reported, it is the FSC that is discharging waste into the Qawa River and causing
“pollution incidents” and through that pollution it is causing, amongst other things, damage to
human health, economic losses, loss of earnings and loss to any natural environment or
resource, then a number of legal questions arise.

Short evaluation: the source used is current, the author has provided evidence, has used
other sources

3.0 Discussion

 Water is very important in people’s life. Human are the causes of most of the
pollution on our water way. It is generally a problem that people don’t like to deal
which leads to causes much damage to people, animal and plant. We can work

2
 together to keep the environment clean so the plants, animals, and people who
depend on it remain healthy.

 Water pollution has a disastrous effect on our environment. Our ecosystem is

affected on every level of water contaminations. Not only have human beings relied
on water but also plants and animal. And they all are affected. Human are the causes
of most of the pollution on our water way. Water pollution is the contamination of
bodies of water. It occurs when pollutants reach these bodies of water, without
treatment.

 I agree with the three sources as the sources I used was current and the author gave
a brief information on the topic.

 To conclude, our rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and seas are drowning in chemicals,
waste, plastic, and other pollutants. Some ways are to reduce the use of the plastic
bag, buy more environmentally safe cleaning liquids for use at home and other
public places, they are less dangerous to the environment. The government has put
on some very strict laws that help minimize water pollution example banning plastic
bags and harmful pesticides. There are also lots of organizations and groups that
help educate people about the dangers of water pollution. Water is very important in
people’s life. It is generally a problem that people don’t like to deal which leads to
causes much damage to people, animals, and plants. We can work together to keep
the environment clean so the plants, animals, and people who depend on it remain
healthy.

3.0 References
Cengage, 2020, Agricultural Practice Impacts. Retrieved from
https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/energy-government-and-defense-
magazines/agricultural-practice-impacts

Safe Drinking Water Foundation, 2017, Marine Dumping. Retrieved from

https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/marine-dumping

Tuivanualevu, F. (2017). How does the law protect rivers in Fiji from pollution?
Retrieved from https://www.sas.com.fj/ocean-law-bulletins/how-does-the-law-protect-
rivers-in-fiji-from-pollution

3
 FULL ESSAY
HOW DOES WATER POLLUTION AFFECTS
OUR ENVIRONMENT?

Water pollution has a disastrous effect on our environment. Our ecosystem is affected on
every level of water contaminations. Not only have human beings relied on water but also
plants and animal. And they all are affected. 70% of earth surface is covered with water 3%
is safe and fresh. More than 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Human are
the causes of most of the pollution on our water way. Water pollution is the contamination of
bodies of water. It occurs when pollutants reach these bodies of water, without treatment.
What is Water pollution? Water pollution is the pollution of bodies of water, such as lakes,
rivers, seas, the oceans, as well as groundwater. It occurs when pollutants reach these bodies
of water, without treatment. Waste from homes, factories and other buildings get into the
water bodies. Some of the effects of water pollution: water is no longer drinkable the water
source becomes toxic .wildlife and marine life can ingest and die from the contaminants.
Water pollution also leads to Water borne diseases such as ringworm leptospirosis diarrhea
and many more. Water pollution affects our ecosystems. Many areas are now being affected
by careless human pollution. This essay will discuss on three causes of water pollution that
are marine dumping, Agricultural practice, and 3. Industrial and solid waste. And discuss
some of the ways we can prevent it.

Some of the causes of water pollutions are Firstly marine dumping. Garbage produced at
home and office are thrown away carelessly which ends up in rivers. One of the most used
house garbage is plastic bags. According to Safe Drinking Water Foundation, 2017, marine
dumping is deliberate disposal at sea of wastes or other matter from vessels, aircraft,
platforms or other man-made structures. Marine dumping can destroy habitat for aquatic
species and cause coastal erosion and salutation, which affect the health and productivity of
the marine environment. Whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals are at risk through
ingestion of plastic refuse. The ocean catches almost all the water in the world. Developed
areas like parking lots enable runoff to occur at a much higher volume than a naturally
absorbent field. Even simply driving a car or making a house warm can leak 28 million
gallons of oil into lakes, streams and rivers. One survey estimates that recreational boaters
dump an average of half a kilogram of garbage into the water every time they go out in their
boats. For centuries, seafarers threw their litter into the drink. In those days, trash was made
up of natural material that decomposed with no harm to wildlife. Today, litter is an enormous
ecological problem, but one we can solve so easily. Different items take different lengths of
time to degrade in water Cardboard - takes 2 weeks to degrade, newspaper - takes 6 weeks to
degrades, photodegradable packaging - takes 6 weeks to degrade, foam - takes 50 years to
degrade, Styrofoam - takes 80 years to degrade, aluminum - takes 200 years to degrade,
Plastic packaging - takes 400 years to degrade whereas Glass - it takes so long to degrade that
we don't know the exact time.

Second cause of water pollution is agricultural practice. Excess use of pesticides and
fertilizers leads to pollute rivers and cause blooms. According to Cengage (2020) using of
land to grow crops has occurred for thousands of years. When agriculture involved family
farms and the care of land involved manual labor, the effect of agricultural land on the

4
environment was minimal. However, as farms have become larger and more mechanized, and
as the use of pesticides has grown more prevalent, agricultural practices have become more
damaging to the environment. Clearing the land can increase the erosion of soil, and the
runoff of pesticides can poison watercourses and even contaminate underground water
supplies. Not only does this damage the local ecosystems, but the massive loss of forest is
affecting the global climate. During the height of the Industrial Revolution, around the 1850s,
mechanization was introduced to farming, which increased crop production markedly. At
around this time fertilizers and pesticides began to be manufactured, but they were not
extensively used until the early twentieth century. Although the use of pesticides and
fertilizers has been reduced by some farmers, they are still commonly employed. Runoff of
these chemicals into adjacent watercourses can poison the water, and the presence of nitrogen
(N) and phosphorus (P) can cause the explosive increase in algal growth. The algal bloom can
deplete oxygen (O) from the water so much that the water cannot support fish. In 2008 such
concerns about agricultural practices remain, positive changes are taking place. Organically
raised crops and the lessened use of antibiotics as a growth supplement in cattle have reduced
environmental damage in developed countries. In addition, agricultural practices such as
planting different crops in different growing seasons, having fields lay fallow for a time, and
planting stands of trees to act as a wind block help maintain soil fertility. However, in other
countries agricultural practices that include deforestation are becoming even more of a
concern, especially given the influence that massive tree loss can have on the increased
release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Lastly, the third cause of water pollution is industrial and solid waste. Poor solid waste
management has a serious effect on our health and environment. Disposal of waste has direct
and indirect link to our economic development. Waste material represents waste money.
Poorly managed waste can have negative effect on growth. According to Tuivanualevu
(2017) Access to clean water for drinking and bathing, and clean oceans and rivers are
essential for Pacific Islanders. Pollution of our water and oceans can take away the basis of
people’s livelihood, survival, and lifestyle. The negative cost of industrialization,
modernization and unsustainable development has resulted in pollutants being deposited into
our rivers and coastal areas. The Qawa River has been a well-known and perennial victim of
pollution for many years that is caused by the deposit of waste and by-product into the river
by the operation of the Labasa sugar mill. Many who rely on the Qawa River for food
security and transportation have raised this regular issue of the pollution of the river and the
serious impacts and consequences that it has for their lives and the natural resources in the
river. If, as is being reported, it is the FSC that is discharging waste into the Qawa River and
causing “pollution incidents” and through that pollution it is causing, amongst other things,
damage to human health, economic losses, loss of earnings and loss to any natural
environment or resource, then a number of legal questions arise.

To conclude, our rivers, reservoirs, lakes and seas are drowning in chemicals, waste, plastic
and other pollutants. Fortunately there are some simple ways you can prevent water
contamination or at least limit your contribution to it. Some ways are reduce the use of plastic
bag, buy more environmentally safe cleaning liquids for use at home and other public places.
They are less dangerous to the environment, never throw rubbish away anyhow. Always look
for the correct waste bin, maintain your car so that it doesn’t leak oil or coolant, if you have a
yard, consider landscape because this reduces runoff and if you live close to a water body, try
to plant lots of trees and flowers around your home, so that when it rains, chemicals from
your home does not easily drain into the water. The government has put on some very strict
laws that help minimize water pollution. These laws are usually directed at industries,

5
hospitals, schools and market areas on how to dispose, treat and manage sewage example
banning of plastic bag and harmful pesticide. There are also lots of organizations and groups
that help educate people on the dangers of water pollution. It is always great to join these
groups, because they regularly encourage other members of their communities to have a
better attitude towards water. Water is very important in people’s life. Human are the causes
of most of the pollution on our water way. It is generally a problem that people don’t like to
deal which leads to causes much damage to people, animal and plant. We can work together
to keep the environment clean so the plants, animals, and people who depend on it remain
healthy.

6
 REFERENCES
Cengage, 2020, Agricultural Practice Impacts. Retrieved from
https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/energy-government-and-defense-
magazines/agricultural-practice-impacts

Safe Drinking Water Foundation, 2017, Marine Dumping. Retrieved from

https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/marine-dumping

Tuivanualevu, F. (2017). How does the law protect rivers in Fiji from pollution? Retrieved
from https://www.sas.com.fj/ocean-law-bulletins/how-does-the-law-protect-rivers-in-fiji-
from-pollution