One cause of water pollution is littering. Some litter that one can find in the water is cardboard, Styrofoam, aluminum, plastic and glass (“Causes and Effects of Water Pollution… “). Animals are likely to harm themselves with litter that water takes to shore and pieces that float around in the water (“Causes and Effects Of Water pollution… “). They can easily Cut themselves on glass and/or get stuck in plastic or aluminum. Littering can also pollute our drinking water. It can send chemicals into our drinking water causing harm to humans (“Causes and Effects of Water Pollution… Littering can easily be prevented by proper disposal of trash. Another cause of water pollution is industrial waste. Industrial waste is caused by factories that are near bodies of water. It contaminates water which can contaminate fish that humans eventually eat. Mercury is a toxic chemical associated with industrial waste that can be particularly dangerous if it makes contact with small children or women. It can affect the development of the nervous system of young children and fetus’ of pregnant women (“Causes and Effects of Water Pollution… ).
A third cause of water pollution is oil pollution. Oil pollution can be caused by spills and ships. The oil pollutes the water causing fish and other animals to suffocate from the oil and die when they encounter it (“Causes and Effects of Water Pollution… “). Oil pollution does not dissolve in water, instead it thickens from the water and becomes more harmful (“Causes and Effects of Water Pollution… “). It can also pollute freshwater, contaminating the water we drink. If the owners of ships would cut down the amount of ships at sea the illusion could be cut down.