BILLABONG HIGH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

EVM HOLIDAY HOMEWORK

5IG VOLUME 1

Water Pollution – A Modern Epidemic

One of the primary causes of water pollution is the contamination

of water bodies by toxic chemicals. As seen in the example
mentioned above, the dumped plastic bottles, tins, water cans and
other wastes pollute the water bodies. These result in water
pollution, which harms not just humans, but the whole ecosystem.
Toxins drained from these pollutants, travel up to the food chain
and eventually affect humans. In most cases, the outcome is
destructive to only local population and species, but it can also
have an impact on a global scale too.
Nearly 6 billion kilograms of garbage is dumped every year in the
oceans. Apart from industrial effluents and untreated sewage, other
forms of unwanted materials are dumped into various water bodies.
These can range from nuclear waste to oil spills – the latter of which
can render vast areas uninhabitable.

Most Causes of water pollution can be mainly attributed to

anthropogenic causes. This means humans are responsible for
causing water pollution. Water pollution can be defined as the
introduction of pollutants into a body of water. These can cause
detrimental effects on the organisms that live in the water body or
interact with the water. However, the causes of water pollution can
occur from natural processes or phenomenon too.
 BILLABONG HIGH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
EVM HOLIDAY HOMEWORK
5IG VOLUME 1

Toxins introduced into the water can travel up the food chain. This
means humans are susceptible to the effect of toxins ingested by
fish and other aquatic life.

Causes of Water Pollution 

Water is able to dissolve many substances; hence it is called the
universal solvent. This is the same reason why water
pollution occurs easily. Following are the causes of water pollution:

 Sewage and wastewater:

Many households dump their waste directly into water bodies.
Moreover, households which are not served by municipal treatment
plant may use septic tanks, which eventually infiltrates into the
soil, causing pollution of groundwater.

 Industrial effluents and Industrial Usage:

Some industries may directly pump their untreated wastes into
water bodies such as rivers. Moreover, various industries also use
water as a coolant, thereby causing thermal pollution. Increased
water temperatures can cause a reduction in the levels of oxygen;
which can cause the death of fish and other organisms.
 BILLABONG HIGH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
EVM HOLIDAY HOMEWORK
5IG VOLUME 1

Eutrophication
Eutrophication is caused when large quantities of nutrients are
introduced into a body of water, causing the rapid growth of algae.
This can decrease the oxygen level in the water, rendering the fish
unable to breathe. Moreover, this phenomenon can also introduce
dangerous toxins into the water body, which can harm or kill most
organisms, including humans 

 Deforestation
Deforestation can cause soil erosion. When these loose soil particles
enter a water body, they can make the water murky. This can make
the water very murky, and it also has the potential to cause
mechanical damage to aquatic organisms, (such as sand particles
getting stuck in gills). 

Agricultural run-offs
Agricultural run-offs include fertilizers and other chemicals that
can make the water toxic. Moreover, some of these fertilizers can
induce eutrophication.

 Accidents
Accidents can involve events such as leaks and oil spills. Oil spills,
in particular, are very damaging to the environment and aquatic
life. It occurs when large oil tankers, barges or drilling rigs are
involved in accidents. The most well-known oil spill was that of the
Deep Water Horizon, which occurred on 20th April 2010.

Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XGilJ0dKHQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEb7nnMLcaA&t=13s

Assignment:

Represent them in the form of a mind map other than the causes mentioned
above list more causes which lead to water pollution that you have observed in
your daily life