Water Pollution

On the next lines, you will find out the different ways how water becomes polluted and how this harms all
beings; people, animals and plants. Then you will be able to think what you can do in order to contribute to the
conservation of our Platet Earth and the natural resources it provides us, especially about water, since without
this element life is not possible. Remember that everybody is responsible for the environment.
Factory Waste
For many years, factories have been dumping huge amounts of waste into rivers and seas. This seemed to be
a cheap and easy way of getting rid of it. People thought the waste would disappear. In fact, much of it stays in
the water for a long time and it is a danger to humans and wildlife because much of this waste contains
harmful chemicals. Some of the dangerous waste is dumped into the bottom of the sea. Some waste is burned
out at sea, in large ships. The ash is then dumped in the water.As a result, water is polluted, many acquatic
animals are harmed and the food chain is destroyed.
PCB’s are poisonous chemicals. Factories use PCB’s in order to cool machinery. Although many countries
have banned the use of these chemicals, many countries still use them. When they are dumped into seas or
oceans, they are taken in by tiny plants and animals, so, when these poisoned fish are eaten by larger
animals, the PCB’s are automatically taken in too. Animals, such as whales that are at the top of the food
chain, may eat small fish already sick by dangerous chemicals, then, these huge animals are damaged.
Some years ago, over 18,000 common seals in the North Sea died of a disease.Researchers of this sad event
found out that most of these animals had PCB’s in their bodies. Scientists have determined that animals with
PCB’s in their bodies catch diseases easily.
Acid Rain
Acid rain is an indirect effect of industrialization. When fuels, such as oil or coal, are burned in cars or factories,
the waste gases mix with the water in the air to make acid rain. North America and parts of Europe suffer most
from acid rain. When acid rain falls on lakes and rivers, it pollutes the water and many fish die. Don’t forget that
in the food chain many animals depend on fish for food. If there are not any fish in a lake or river, some other
animals living there, such as Otters will starve.
Pollution of Groundwater
We cannot see groundwater so it is hard to know when it has been polluted. Groundwater that is being polluted
today, may be used as drinking water and for agriculture, without us knowing it is harmful. Here are some of
the ways this pollution can happen:
 Waste from homes and factories is buried in large pits called landfills. Chemicals and liquids from
rotting waste can leak out and seep into groundwater.

 Farmers spray their crops with chemicals called pesticides to kill insect pests. They also use chemical
fertilizers to help crops grow. All these chemicals may seep through soil into groundwater and pollute
it.
Pollution from Household
Unfortunately, pollution does not only come from factories or farms as there are many other ways that water
becomes polluted. Large amounts of human waste, or sewage, from toilets and drains are dumped in the sea,
often close to the shore. Sewage can be treated to make it safe but many countries do not do this. Untreated
sewage can cause all kinds of diseases to human beings and animals.

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Dirty Beaches
Many people dump all kinds of everyday rubbish on beaches andslick wetlands, or in rivers and ponds. Much
of this can be dangerous because:
 Plastic rings that hold cans together can strangle birds, fish, and other animals.
 Whales may swallow plastic bags or balloons, thinking they are jellyfish.
 Broken glass and the sharp edges of tin cans cut animals.
Radioactive Waste
Radioactive Waste, from nuclear power stations, can be very dangerous. It can change the way living things
grow and may cause cancer. Some radioactive waste stays harmful for thousands of years. Some radioactive
waste used to be sealed in barrels and dumped in the oceans. Then people realized that one day the barrels
will rost and break and the waste will escape and make the water extremely harmfull for aquatic life and
people.
Oil Pollution
Unfortunatelly there are many shipwrecks and oil well accidents in the middle of the oceans and thousands of
gallons of oil spill in the sea. This spillt oil forms a large pool in the water called a slick.The slick usually drifts
to shore, polluting beaches and killing wildlife, not only aquatic animals but birds too because when they
approach to the oill pool, they get trapped in the oil, they cannot move or fly and they die too. During the
different wars in the last decades, Thousands of destroyed oil ships and wells have produced huge disasters,
especially in the Persian Gulf and other Asian seas. Some oil producing companies have also caused great
pollution disasters such as the one in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Macondo Prospect, operated by BP
(British Petroleum)

New Vocabulary
Verbs

To pollute To make dirty; to destroy purity

To ban To prohibit
To starve To suffer or die from hunger
To harm To cause damage or injury
To poison To put harmful substances
To bury To put underground; to cover with soil
To suffer To feel or have a pain
To drift To go or move along with the flow
To strangle To squeeze the throat
To treat To put a substance through a process
To dump To put or throw down carelessly
To rot To become useless or bad
To leak To pass through cracks (liquids or gas)
To swallow To make something go down the throat
To spill To run over the side of the container
To seep To penetrate (liquids)

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 Vocabulary Words

Sewage: Foul liquid or material, organic waste carried off in sewers.

Waste: What is no longer for use.

Pit: A hole in the Earth.

Shore: Land bordering the sea of any body of water (lakes, sea, rivers).

Rubbish: Plastic waste.

Pond: Small area of still water.

Tin: Soft white metal, often used to make cans.

II. After reading the text, use these clues to write sentence about
Water Pollution and its effects using Passive Voice.

1.- To Dump / Waste 8.- To use / PCB’s

2.- To eat / PCB’s
3.- To bury / Waste
4.- To spray / Fertilizers
5.- To strangle / Birds
6.- To form / Slicks
7.- To affect / Food Chain
9.- To burn / Waste
10.- To spray / Pesticides
11.- To cut / Animals
12.- To swallow / Plastic Bags
13.- To destroy / Wildlife

III. Look for the definitions of the following words in the text.

1.- What are PCB’s? 4.-What are pesticides?

2.- What is acid rain? 5.- What is a slick?
3.- What are fertilizers? 6.- What are landfills?

IV. Comprehension questions.

1. How do factories and households pollute water?

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 2. How is groundwater polluted?
3. What is acid rain and what does it harm and how does it affect the food-chain?
4. Talk about dirty beaches and water pollution
5. Talk about oil pollution in oceans and rivers.

V. Complete the Table.

Verb Noun Adjective

To pollute Polluted/polluting

To harm (the) Harm

Starvation Starving

To poison (a/the) poison

To treat Treated

(the) cold

_____________ _______________ ________________

To leak leaking

VI. CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Across

3. body of still water

4. the lowest part of anything
5. foul liquid or material carried off in sewers
7. fur-covered animal with 4 feet and flat tail
9. land bordering the sea or any body of water

Down

1. soft, white metal often used to make cans

2. plastic waste
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3. a hole in the Earth
6. what is not useful anymore
8. sharp, cutting part of a knife; the end of a surface

VII. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words:

1) _________________ from homes and factories is burried in large _________________.

2) Fish-eating animals, such as _______________ can starve because of acid rain.
3) Large amounts of ________________ from toilets and drains are dumped in the sea,
sometimes close to the _____________________.
4) Some _________________, like plastic rings that hold cans together strangle birds, fish,
and some other animals.
5) Dangerous waste is dumped at the _______________ of the sea.
6) Lakes and ________________ are polluted by acid rain.
7) Broken glass and sharp ________________ of ______________ cans can cut animals.

VIII. Match the columns.

a) Waste matter from domestic, commercial,

and industrial establishments carried off in sewers. ( ) Wildlife
b) Wild animals, trees, and plants. ( ) Waste
c) Mixture of waste gases of oil or coal and rain in the air. ( ) Slick
d) Garbage, rubbish, trash. ( ) Pesticides
e) Chemical substance that destroys plants and animal
pests. ( ) Sewage
f) Big holes in the ground to dispose of trash / garbage. ( ) Fertilizers
g) Smooth, large pool formed by oil spill into the sea. ( ) Rubbish
h) Material applied to soil to increase crop productivity. ( ) Groundwater
i) Plastic trash. ( ) Acid Rain
j) Poisonous chemicals, used to cool machinery. ( ) PCBs
k) All water underground. ( ) Landfills
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