Water Pollution. Dangers and Causes - Essay Example

?Introduction: Water is the most essential necessity for life. Its importance cannot be stressed upon enough. Although around three fourth of the earth’s space is filled with water, there is an alarming amount of pollution that has rendered most of the water as unsanitary and unusable. Most of the water on the surface of the earth is sea water which is not usable for most of water’s essential purposes, including drinking. Fresh water is the most essential form of water for survival of life. The events of past years have raised the concern over the perennial availability of fresh water and are slowly converting fresh water into a commodity rather than an available for all resource. Preservation of the quality and availability of fresh water has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges in the 21st century. This concern is very high for third world countries where there is an alarmingly high dearth of drinkable water, rendering scores of people to die due to diseases emanating from poisonous water. Pressures on water resources: The increasing stress on water resources is from several sources and can take various forms. The impact of these pressures can vary and contribute to the ever increasing problem of easily available fresh water. Several factors contribute to increasing the stress on water resources. The growth of urban metropolises and changing lifestyles impacts the amount and pattern of water consumption. From using fresh water solely for necessary purposes, consumption patterns have changed to lavish and unessential patterns including embellishment of hotels, malls, etc. Increased industrial activity with respect to the use of water has increased the pressure on water resources. All these pressures are compounded by the substantial amount of water pollution that takes place in today’s industrialized world. Water Pollution: Water possesses the capacity to renew and cleanse itself through the process of sedimentation, whereby pollutants settle out themselves, break down, or are diluted to a point where they are in innocuous concentrations. This natural process, however, is time consuming and ineffective when excessive quantities of harmful substances are added to water (SDWF). This is precisely the problem that we face today. The excessive industrial waste has significantly hampered the natural cleansing process, leaving previously fresh water, polluted and not useful for the purposes it was meant for. Human waste contributes significantly to the problem also. Every day, approximately 2 million tons of human waste are disposed in water courses (UN Water). The dilemma of developing countries is alarmingly bad, approximately 70 percent of all industrial waste is dumped into waters, leading to the pollution of usable water supply. Dangers of water pollution: All water pollutants are dangerous to humans as well as lesser species. Some of the key ingredients of the most prevalent pollutants, including industrial waste, include sodium, which is implicated in cardiovascular diseases; nitrates are guilty of causing blood disorders, whereas mercury and lead can cause nervous disorders. DDT, which is found in some forms of industrial waste, is toxic and can not only impact living humans but can also affect chromosomes. Another dangerous toxic ingredient found in industrial wastes, PCBs, is known to cause liver and nerve damage, skin eruptions, vomiting, fever, diarrhea and significant fetal abnormalities (Geol). The impact of pollution from sewage and human wastes is also lethal. Dysentery, salmonellosis and hepatitis are some of the diseases transmitted by sewage in drinking and bathing water. This problem is extremely frequent in developing and less developing countries where there is no clear mechanism to separate fresh and drinkable water from polluted water (Tripathi and Pandey). Causes of water pollution: The sources of water pollution can be divided into point sources and nonpoint sources. Point sources refer to factories, wastewater treatment facilities, septic systems, and other systems that are undeniably discharging hazardous pollutants into water. Identification of nonpoint sources is tougher because they cannot be traced back to any specific location. They including runoff including fertilizers, sediment, chemical and animal wastes, and other sources of pollution that are not easily identifiable (US EPA). Water pollution can be divided into the following specific types: Water pollution emanating from biodegradable waste consists of human and animal waste. When this form of waste enters into water supply, the water acts as an energy source for bacteria. This form of pollution is highly prevalent and much more problematic than other forms of pollution. The principle cause of the waste is presence of organic waste in water which leads to rapid multiplication of bacteria. Runoff pollution occurs when plant nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrates, enter water through sewage, fertilizer and livestock. Phosphates and nitrates are also present in industrial wastes. Too much nitrogen or phosphate in water leads to the development of algae. This can lead to making water green, cloudy, odorous and unhealthy. Bacteria forms and spreads rapidly and chemical reactions within the water use up the oxygen present in water and harm aquatic life in a process called eutrophication. Water can also be polluted by excess supply of heat. An increase in temperature of water leads to a decrease in dissolved oxygen. This form of pollution can be natural or human made. Water pollution is also caused by sediments. Sediment consists of mineral or organic solid matter that is washed from land into water supplies. Such form of pollution is difficult to identify as it comes from nonpoint sources of pollution such as agriculture, construction and livestock operations. Sediment can clog municipal water systems, leading to the possible use of polluted water by the population, affect aquatic life, and increase the turbidity of water. Toxic chemicals are one of the primary sources of pollution. Toxic pollution is usually the result of human made materials that are not properly disposed off. They include industrial charges or oil spills. One of the key sources of industrial pollution is oil spills. Radioactive sources of pollution include wastewater discharges from hospitals, factories and uranium mines. These sources of pollutants can be dangerous and it usually takes a number of years to reduce the impact of these forms of pollution (US EPA). Works Cited Geol, P.K. Water Pollution - Causes, Effects & Control. New Age International, 2006. SDWF. "Water Pollution." Safe Drinking Water Formulation Canada. Tripathi, A.K and S.N Pandey. Water Pollution. APH Publishing, 1990. UN Water. "World Water Assessment Programme." World Water Assessment Programme. US EPA. Water Pollutants. . Read More