SOURCES, IMPACTS AND MANAGEMENT

Huda Abdul Samad | Biology | 27-12-2020

INTRODUCTION

From big pieces of garbage to

invisible chemicals, a wide range of
pollutants ends up in our planet's
lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater,
and eventually the oceans. Water
pollution along with drought,
inefficiency, and an exploding
population has contributed to a
freshwater crisis, threatening the
sources we rely on for drinking
water and other critical needs.

Water pollution is the contamination Water pollution is the leading

of water bodies, usually as a result of
human activities. Water bodies
include for example lakes, rivers,
oceans, aquifers and groundwater.
Water pollution results when
contaminants are introduced into the
natural environment. For example,
releasing inadequately treated
wastewater into natural water bodies
can lead to degradation of aquatic
ecosystems. In turn, this can lead to
public health problems for people
living downstream. They may use the
same polluted river water for
drinking or bathing or irrigation.
worldwide cause of death and disease,
e.g. due to water-borne diseases.
India and China are two countries
with high levels of water pollution. An
estimated 580 people in India die of
water pollution related illness every
day. About 90 percent of the water in
the cities of China is polluted. As of
2007, half a billion Chinese had no
access to safe drinking water.
 Water pollution is a major global
problem. It requires
ongoing evaluation and revision
of water resource policy at all
levels (international down to
pollution individual aquifers and wells). It
has been suggested that water

accounted pollution is the leading worldwide

cause of death and diseases. Water
pollution accounted for the deaths
for the of 1.8 million people in 2015.The
organization Global Oceanic

deaths of Environmental Survey (GOES)

consider water pollution as one of
the main environmental
1.8 million problems that can present a
danger for the existence of life on
people in earth in the next decades. In
addition to the acute problems of
water pollution in developing
countries, developed countries also
continue to struggle with pollution
problems. For example, in a report
on water quality in the United
States in 2009, 44 percent of
assessed stream miles, 64 percent
of assessed lake acres, and 30
percent of
assessed bays and estuarine
square miles were classified as
polluted.

OIL POLLUTION:
Every year there are about 3,000
pollution incidents involving oil and
fuels in England and Wales. Oil
spillages affect water quality in a
number of ways. Oil can make
drinking water unsafe to drink. A
substantial amount of oil released
into oceans and seas will destroy
wildlife and the ecosystems that
sustain them. Oil spills also reduce
oxygen supplies within the water
environment.
SOURCES
There are various sources of
water pollution which include
both natural and man-made.
Some of them are-
SEWAGE (WASTE WATER):
Sewage is another name for
waste water from domestic and
industrial processes. Despite
strict regulatory control, the
environment agency data shows
that the water and sewage
industry accounted for almost a
quarter of the serious water
incidents in England and Wales
in 2006.
RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES:
Radioactive waste is another source
of water pollution. Radioactive
substances are used in nuclear power
plants, industrial, medical etc. They
can be found in watches, clocks,
television sets and x-ray machinery.
There are also naturally occurring
radioisotopes from organisms and
within the environment. If not
properly disposed of, radioactive
waste can result in serious water
pollution incidents.
AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION:

The agriculture industry covers 76%

of the land area of England and
Wales. Agricultural processes such as
uncontrolled spreading of slurries
and manure, disposal of sheep dip,
tillage, ploughing of the land, use of
pesticides and fertilisers can cause
water pollution. Accidental spills
from milk dairies can also affect the
quality of water.

RIVER DUMPING:

Lots of people dump supermarket

trolleys, bicycles, garden cuttings and
electronic waste into rivers or river
banks. This is illegal and offenders
may be charged for fly-tipping if
caught. River dumping not only
causes water pollution; it also harms
wildlife and increases the risk of
flooding. Fly-tipping (this includes
river dumping) is a criminal offence.
In the most severe cases, it can
attract a maximum fine of £50,000
or a 5-year jail term.
IMPACTS
ON HUMAN HEALTH:
Ct
Water pollution kills. In fact, it caused
1.8 million deaths in 2015, according
to a study published in The Lancet.
Contaminated water can also make
you ill. Every year, unsafe water
sickens about 1 billion people. And
low-income communities are
disproportionately at risk because
their homes are often closest to the
most polluting industries.
Waterborne pathogens, in the form of
disease-causing bacteria and viruses
from human and animal waste, are
a major cause of illness from
contaminated drinking water.

ON THE ENVIRONMENT: ON AQUATIC LIFE:

In order to thrive, healthy ecosystems
rely on a complex web of animals,
plants, bacteria, and fungi all of
which interact, directly or indirectly,
with each other. When water
pollution causes an algal bloom in a
lake or marine environment, the
proliferation of newly introduced
nutrients stimulates plant and algae
growth, which in turn reduces oxygen
levels in the water. This dearth of
oxygen, known as eutrophication,
suffocates plants and animals and
can create dead zones
waters are essentially devoid of life.
Animals and plants that depend on
water for life are the most effected
by polluted water. Statistics from the
Centre for Biological Diversity on the
effects of Deep Horizon spill provides
a useful glimpse of the impact of
pollution on aquatic life. In the
report, the 2010 spill on the Gulf of
Mexico harmed over 82,000 birds,
25,900 marine animals, 6165 sea
turtles and an unknown number of
fish and invertebrates.
MANAGEMENT
Water pollution, to a larger extent,
can be controlled by a variety of
methods. Rather than releasing
sewage waste into water bodies, it is
better to treat them before discharge.

We must help
Practising this can reduce the initial
toxicity and the remaining substances
can be degraded and rendered
harmless by the water body itself. If
the secondary treatment of water has in every way
been carried out, then this can be
reused in sanitary systems and
agricultural fields.
we can to
A very special plant, the Water
Hyacinth can absorb dissolved toxic reduce water
chemicals such as cadmium and other
such elements. Establishing these in
regions prone to such kinds of
pollution.
pollutants will reduce the adverse
effects to a large extent.
Some chemical methods that help in
the control of water pollution are
precipitation, the ion exchange
process, reverse osmosis, and
coagulation. As an
individual, reusing, reducing, and
recycling wherever possible will
advance a long way in overcoming the
effects of water pollution. Therefore
we must help in every way we can to
reduce water pollution.