6 Effects of Water Pollution

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Apr 16 2022

In recent years, water pollution is an issue that has come to increasingly dominate global
headlines. From unsanitary facilities in the third world to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the
ocean to the contamination of drinking supplies in the USA, water pollution is a grave
problem the world over. But how do water pollution effects manifest themselves in tangible
terms? Here’s a closer look at how contaminated water affects human, animals, plants and the
wider environment.
Depletion of drinking water supplies
As the resource upon which we depend for our survival, it would be logical to prioritise the
safety and sanitation of our drinking water supplies above all else. That’s especially true given
that the Earth’s population continues to grow at an alarming rate, meaning ever greater stores of
water will be required in the future. Unfortunately, contamination of our lakes, reservoirs and
other waterways means that there is a decreasing amount of drinking water for us to draw on.
Disease
If drinking water supplies cannot meet the demand, people will be forced to consume unsafe
sources of drinking water. This is especially true in impoverished parts of the world such as
Africa, Asia and Latin America; in total, the UN estimates that around 1 in 3 people do not have
access to this most basic human right and resource. This means that waterborne diseases such
as cholera, dysentery and typhoid are prevalent in such locations, causing an untold number of
premature deaths.
Eutrophication
Agricultural products such as fertilisers and pesticides contain elevated levels of ammonia and
phosphate, which can boost crop yields. However, these nutrients can find their way into
streams, lakes and other water channels through run-off, thus unbalancing the delicate aquatic
ecosystems. This sparks a process called eutrophication, whereby certain organisms (such as
algae) can proliferate and consume more than their fair share of oxygen and sunlight, depriving
others of these important resources in the process.
Food chain disruption
When eutrophication causes certain species to dwindle or die out, that can have a knock-on effect
on the predators which feed upon them, thus causing shockwaves further up the food chain.
Meanwhile, consumption and absorption of polluted water by marine and aquatic organisms is
capable of causing damage to their internal organs. When they are later consumed by larger
species, the food chain can become compromised and contaminated, eventually affecting the
human race indirectly.
Agriculture
Did you know that farming uses as much as 70% of the Earth’s water? If that water becomes
contaminated, there are fewer reserves available to cultivate crops and sustain livestock, thus
contributing to reduced yields and poorer quality crops. Meanwhile, the plants and animals
which are reared using tainted water are not fit for human consumption, again indirectly
contributing to a negative impact on human health.
Economic impacts
The effects of water pollution are not just related to human and environmental health, either.
Contaminated water supplies must go through a rigorous treatment process before they can
become potable or suitable for irrigation, washing or swimming in. This entails a financial price
tag that is prohibitive on human progress. Meanwhile, another economic impact engendered by
water pollution is the loss of revenue experienced by the tourism industry in certain parts of the
world.

https://www.envirotech-online.com/news/water-wastewater/9/breaking-news/6-effects-of-water-
pollution/57707
Water pollution, is it too late?
by Steven Beesley   Nov 8, 2005category : Miscellaneous / Misc. poems

This poem was written in a poetry challenge with Effects of Poetry.

Water pollution, is it too late? :

Never mindful of what our progress brings,

we carry on with our selfish ways.
Everything done in the name of improving our fates,
but what price does our progress actually bring?

Expose and exploit our natural resources,

only to produce new and increasingly materialistic things.
All the industrialization spewing effluents into the air,
into our precious water systems.

Polluting our eco-systems, then bring acid rain.

Many toxic wastes flow unchecked to the water table.
Dangerous chemicals and hard metals that leech
and pollute our streams and flow to the sea.

A vicious cycle that repeats itself with each day.

Our efforts to keep our water supplies clean,
simply cannot keep up with our hectic pace.
One day we shall reap the consequences of our carelessness.
We are all poisoning our seas and lakes,
till all is too late and we have sealed our own fates.
Polluting our waters, our very own pure life sources
and diminishing valuable food chains.

Can we really survive, with such savage

contamination that is just so great?
Can we think and do something,
before our mother earth dies?

Our precious water supply is what

we need to live or else we shall all die.
Yet we continue to defecate such wastes
at such alarming rates.

Steven Beesley (c)

https://www.poems-and-quotes.com/poems/530352
https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/sources-water-pollution-vector-38380553

14/09/22