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As a matter of fact, water covers over 70% of Earth’s surface and it’s a very important resource for people and the environment. But nowadays, water is polluted. And water pollution affects drinking water, rivers, lakes and oceans all over the world. This consequently harms human health and the natural environment . If we don’t have any methods to prevent water resource from polluting, we will not have enough water to use in the future. Water is polluted by a lot of causes.
First of all is the industrial waste. Industries cause huge pollution with their activities. These come mainly from sulfur, asbestos, lead and mercury, nitrates and phosphates, oils… Firstly, sulfur is a non-metallic substance that is harmful for marine life. Secondly, asbestos is the pollutant which has cancer-causing properties when inhaled, it can cause illnesses such as asbestosis and many type of cancer. Thirdly, lead and mercury are metallic elements and can cause environmental and health problems for humans and animals. Less even more poisonous.
It’s usually very hard to clean up from the environment once it gets into it because it is non- biodegradable. Beside, nitrates and phosphates are also the poisonous. There are found in fertilizers, are often washed from the soil to nearby water bodies. They can cause transportation, which can be very problematic to marine environment. Lastly, oil forms a thick layer on the water surface because it does not dissolve in water. This can stop marine plants receiving enough light for photosynthesis. Its also harmful for fish and marine birds. Sewage and waste of water are also causes of water pollution.
Every day, we cook, do laundry, flush the toilet, wash our cars, shower and do many things that use water. Think about how we use water in school, hospitals and public places. Where do you think all the water, liquid waste, toilet and urine end up? In many developed countries, all this water and sewage is treated, cleaned and dumped into the sea. But in some developing countries, these sewage is not treated, but quickly dumped into the sea or water bodies. This is very dangerous because it contaminates the environment and water bodies and brings many deadly diseases to us.
Another cause of water pollution is ocean and marine dumping. Think of the rubbish we all make each day: paper waste, plastic, rubber, metallic and aluminum waste. In some countries, they are deposited into the sea. All the waste types take time to decompose. For example, it is known that paper takes about 6 weeks, aluminum takes about 200 years and glass takes even more. When these end up into in the sea, they harm sea animals and cause a lot of deaths. Last but not least is pollution through Oil. Routine shipping run-offs and dumping of Oil on the ocean surface happen every day.
Oil spills make up about 12% of the oil that enters the ocean. Oil spills cause major problems, and can be extremely harmful to local marine wildlife. Because oil doesn’t dissolve, it stays on the water surface and suffocates fish. Oil also gets caught in the feathers of sea birds avoiding them from flying. Some animals die as a result. There are some causes of water pollution. We can see that the main causes come from human beings. Therefore, nowadays, water pollution is affecting our life. Water pollution is very harmful to humans, animals, and water life.
The effects can be catastrophic, depending on the kind of chemicals, concentrations of the pollutants and where they are pollute. It is varied and depended on what chemicals are dumped and in which locations. Firstly, many water bodies near urban areas (cities and towns) are highly polluted. This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by manufacturing industries, health centers, schools and market places. Secondly, many water animals are dying. The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that depends on these water bodies.
Dead fish, crabs, birds and sea gulls, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches, killed by pollutants in their habitat. Another effect is diseases. Humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has en poisoned. In many poor nations, there is always an outbreak of cholera and diseases as a result of poor drinking water treatment from contaminated water. Moreover, water pollution also affects to the ecosystems. Ecosystems can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution.
Many areas are now being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt humans in many ways. Hence, we can see that all the effects of water pollution are affecting our life. If we don’t have any methods to prevent water from polluting more, we will receive bad consequences. Dealing with eater pollution is something that everyone needs to get involved with. We can help by getting involved in many ways: firstly, never throw rubbish away anyhow. Always look for the correct waste bin. If there is none around, please take it home and put it in your trash can.
This includes places like the beach, riverside and water bodies. Learn more about waste disposal here; secondly, do not throw chemicals, oils, paints and medicines down the sink drain, or the toilet. In many cities, your local environment office can help with the disposal of medicines and chemicals. Check with your local authorities if there is a Heimlich disposal plan for local residents; thirdly, buy more environmentally safe cleaning liquids for the use at home and other public places. They are less dangerous to the environment.
Another way is that if you use chemicals and pesticides for your gardens and farms, be mindful not to water sources. Start looking at options of composting and using organic manure instead. Last but not least, if you live close to a water body, try to plants lots of trees and flowers around your home, so that when it rains, chemicals from your home do not easily drain into the water. There are some methods to help us reverent water from polluting. It’s not the best way to solve water pollution but it is also a big help for preventing water from polluting.
Nowadays, water pollution is one of the most severe problems which is discussed by a lot of people. Many people find the best solution is to conserve water resources. Scientists said that if we don’t know how to protect and conserve water resource, we will not have fresh water in the future and maybe human can be died because of a lack of fresh water. Therefore, we have to know how to conserve our water resources. Each of our small activities also helps to conserve the water resource.