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Thesis Statement (this would be better if worked into the opening) We must take care of the planets oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers by stopping eater pollution because about seventy-five percent of our planet is water. Ill. Water Pollution A. Effects of Water Pollution There are many effects from pollution that interfere with our planet’s water. The term or meaning of water pollution is foreign material or matter deposited in the water as a result of human negligence. Water pollution does damage to the environment in many ways. It can be as simple as making humans, animals, or plants sick or it can be much more severe and cause death.
Depending on the nature of the pollutant it can stay in the infected area for a few days or linger around for months or years(an in-text citation would help here). It can upset an entire ecosystem and cause a chain reaction of events that could disrupt or totally cripple an ecosystem. Water pollution could make species of an area infertile and wipe out entire species over time because of their inability to successful produce offspring. Water pollution can also cause deformities of species to be born. It can also lay waste to land where it can no longer grow plants or trees as food and shelter to humans and animals.
Several diseases are caused by polluted water. One that I would eke to mention here because of the regular use of it’s (Its means it owns something. Its arm is blue. Its hat is neat. It owns a blue arm and it owns a hat. It’s means it is. It’s raining means it is raining). Name is hepatitis which comes from polluted water. There are several more diseases to include cholera, dysentery, and typhoid which are the more common water-borne diseases that affect large populations in the tropical regions Do not list the URL in text: Instead use (degrees. Mom, date) (http://degrees. Terries. In). Still other diseases to include would be diarrhea, respiratory infections, and encephalitis. B. Causes of Water Pollution The causes of water pollution vary and may be both natural and anthropogenic. However, the most common causes of water pollution are the anthropogenic ones which means humans are directly or indirectly responsible for them. (http://www. environmentalpollutioncenters. Org, date). Will now list several of the causes of water and give brief descriptions of them. B-l . Agriculture runoff.
This is the carrying of pesticides or other farm use chemicals into our rivers, streams, and lakes and results in algae growing and disrupting the natural ecosystem of the environment. 8-2. Storm water runoff. The result of this is excessive rain water carrying oils and other chemicals into water sources therefore causing both natural and human induced pollution to the waters at the same time. Try to avoid one sentence paragraphs) B-3. Leaking sewer lines. This is a result of poor maintenance to sewer lines and raw sewage leaks into our water sources.
This is perhaps the most dangerous form of pollution due to the health impacts it can present to humans. As noted earlier in this paper raw sewage is responsible to the spread of hepatitis to healthy humans from infected humans. (http://degrees. Tier. Sees. In). 8-4. Mining activities. This is when mining companies crush rocks into small pieces. The residue left behind contains small metal pieces and sulfides which with precipitation converts into sulfuric acid and is then washed into our planets water sources with rainfall or other running water source. B-5. Foundries.
This is when companies burn trash and other chemicals and the aftermath is released into the air. Wind or rain bring this material down and it is washed into our water sources. As an example of this many of us have driven by a chemical plant and seen the smoke stack releasing huge flames upwards. This is what is meant by foundries. 8-6. Accidental leaks and spills. This can be anything from spilling stored chemicals, fuels, cleaning supplies, or pesticides onto the ground. This can also include oil or chemical spill from larger corporations on the ground or in rivers, streams, and oceans.
Even though they are not intentional the clean up can be costly and they effect the quality of life of our ecosystem as well as that of our rives, oceans, and seas. 8-7. Intended/illegal discharges of waste. As the name implies this is the worst cause of pollutants finding their way into our water sources. This is where humans intentional dump waste which could include chemicals, scrap metal, discarded batteries, old electronic devices in any place either away from or directly into our water systems so they don’t have to pay fees to discard the the waste. B-8. Burning of fossil fuels.
This is where humans burn fossil fuels and the aftermath is released into the air and either settle on the ground and carried to bodies of water from rain fall or they are blown directly into the water supplies. 8-9. Transportation. This is from many different industries to include, trucking, shipping freight rains, airlines, farm tractors, highway machinery, and every day automobiles. All of these forms of transportation emit fuel fumes through mufflers, smoke stacks or what ever device is installed and this finds its way into the air and eventually into water sources either directly or as run off. B-l O.
Construction activities. This type of water pollution is from various construction activities. House or building in general use several chemicals to include paint thinner, lacquer, turpentine, caulks, cleaning chemicals which find their way into the ground or storm drains and eventually find their way into water sources. In road alluding there is tar, petroleum, hydraulic fluids from machinery, and other solvents and chemicals that is laid down in preparation of the new roads. B-11. Plastic materials. Even though plastics degrade slowly when they do they release harmful chemicals to both water and the ecosystem.
This is usually transported by run off from rain or floods but can be directly deposited into water and sink and degrade below the surface. B-1 2. Disposal of personal care products and household chemicals. This is when humans throw away chemicals such as drain cleaners, personal care items such a fingernail polish remover, nail polish, cleaning supplies and vast number of other chemical and old discarded items around the house and then end up in the sewer, drain pipes, fields, fishing holes (Adams 2011). , beaches, rivers at the park and any other place they can find to dump their trash.
This is the one that bothers me the most as I go fishing almost every weekend and have to look at all the trash in and around the water. B-13. Improper disposal of car batteries. As the name implies this is the discarding of old automobile batteries and the batteries leak transporting very dangerous chemicals to the ground then when it rains these chemicals are transported into our water sources. These teems have a value and can be purchased and still yet people just throw them any where that suits their needs. B-14. Leaking landfills.
These are common known as dumping grounds and while it would take a major flood for all the various hazardous chemicals to reach rivers, streams, lakes, or oceans they still have a major impact to the ground water underneath them. It rains and the chemicals seep through the ground and end up in the water table below the dump. 8-15. Human and animal waste. This is where human or animal waste end up in our water sources by directly depositing them into the water, or they can be washed into the water resources from rain storms, or flood waters. As noted earlier these can have the most health impact on us.
If the human or animal is sick the waste ends up in one or more of the many water sources, then you can have an epidemic of healthy humans or animals getting sick. It would be better to remove more of the outline structure of the paper and weave it more into an essay. However, I am not taking off points for this. As I have noted there are several causes for water pollution and have listed many of them here. I will now go into a bit more detail on three or four of the ones I feel are more important to me. I would have to say It’s non-point source pollution (http://www. Balm. Gob).
I can’t tell you how man times I have gone fishing and seen trash in the water and all around the fishing spot from people who don’t care and have no respect for others or our beautiful country. This just make our lakes, rivers, and oceans look trashy and it does effect the marine life over a time period. (http:// www. Disseminating. Org). We have become a society of throw away beings and discard our garbage any where and any time we want due to over filled dumps and high prices of dumping. From personal experiences I have gone gashing and feel ashamed of how humans can have sol little regard for this country.
We have to walk around trash to get to a decent spot. Some catch fish and just throw them on the shore while others catch fish and clean them on the shore and just leave the scales, guts, and heads to rot. (Adams, 2011) Second causes for pollution would have to be cruise ships that eagerly transport vacationing tourists all over the world. Dumping garbage and sewage all over the beautiful oceans. And of course regular non-respecting people decide to decorate the beautiful oceans with garbage over the rails honking it’s funny or cute.
Don’t forget to support claims with in-text references that support your positions (yes, this is true). Third I would have to say large corporations and companies help pollute our oceans, lakes, and rivers with excess pollutants they need to dispose of. One such company that everyone is aware of is BP, “British Petroleum” that shut down fisherman’s’ businesses over the last major oil spill. They paid billions to clean up that mess and I am sure it will take several years to undo the damages they have caused to marine life, animals, birds, and humans.
C. Preventing Water Pollution Preventing water pollution is everyone’s job. Stricter laws need to be put in place to fine individuals who abuse public lands with their litter. Fines should be incremented up to the next level for second offenders and onward. Companies should be held accountable for pollution they are responsible for with heavy fines that would pay for entire cleanup no matter what the cost and on second or more offenses lose their licenses to operate as a business. Cargo, Oil, and cruise ships should be treated the harshest.
Since water is the earth’s most abundant resource and all life depends on it, and it effects ore than just humans more care should be taken to protect our oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes. Since life demands clean water to support a healthy environment the fines for polluting our seas and oceans should be swift and merciless. Teams should be put together and monitor these companies on a monthly basis to make sure they don’t pollute the waters of our planet. IV. Summary Now that have shown the causes of water pollution and the effects that it can have on both humans and animals it is time to come together and stop it.
Since man relies on the many species of fish that our oceans and fresh water roved we must ensure that all the marine life and fresh water fish have clean water to continue to provide us with the fish we have become accustomed to eating. Preventing water pollution is not a one person job. We must work as a species to ensure that all the water on this planet is kept clean for drinking, cooking, bathing, and farming. We need to enforce upon the big companies regulations that will force them to dispose of their waste properly and not discard it in our water supplies.