Water Pollution

Water Pollution is the contamination of lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. This happened when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without removing harmful compounds. Water pollution is one of the world's biggest health risks.  Polluted water carries toxic chemicals, dirt, trash and diseases that can threaten our health. Not only do we need water, but all wildlife needs water to survive.

WHAT CAUSES WATER POLLUTION?

• Sewage and water waste. Domestic households, industrial and agricultural practices produce waste water that can cause pollution of many bodies of water. Waste water usually contains faeces, urine and laundry waste.

• Marine dumping. When trashed is dumped in the ocean, it pollutes the water. It can take a long time for trash to degrade in the water.

• Industrial waste. Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the plant and into rivers, lakes and oceans. Industrial waste can include oils, phosphates, lead and mercury. Industrial waste is harmful to humans and marine animals.

• Radioactive waste. Radioactive waste is produced from i radioactive material. It comes from numerous sources and can have huge effects on marine habitats.

• Oil pollution. Oceans are polluted by oil from oil spills, routine shipping, run-offs and dumping. Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms a thick sludge in the water. This hurts marine wildlife such as fish and birds.

• Global warming. Global warming is a process where the temperature increases due to the greenhouse effect.  An increase in water temperature can result in the death of many aquatic organisms and disrupt many marine habitats.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF WATER POLLUTION?

In many ways, water pollution can be dangerous to our planet. It’s important to learn about the following dangers that are threatening our environment:

• Heavy metals are toxic and can accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers. They are harmful to marine life and to the humans that eat them.

• Some of the toxins in industrial waste can be fatal. They can also cause immune suppression, reproductive failure or acute poisoning.

• Water pollution from sewage can contain deadly diseases in our drinking water. Dirty water can have diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever.

HOW TO PREVENT WATER POLLUTION

If you want to help keep our lakes and oceans clean, there are many things you can do to help. You can prevent water pollution by following these simple guidelines:

• Conserve water by turning off the tap when running water is not necessary.
• Don’t throw paints, oils or other forms of litter down the drain down your sink or toilet.
• Use environmentally household products.
• Do not overuse pesticides and fertilizers.
• Don’t throw litter into rivers, lakes or oceans. 

Water covers over 70 percent of our planet’s surface and is a very important resource for people and the environment. Water pollution affects drinking water, rivers, lakes and oceans all over the world. This consequently harms human health and our community. It is important that we learn how to prevent water pollution and keep our oceans friendly!

HAPPY FRIENDLY LIVING, 

Jonathan Berrospes, Silvia Carmona, Scott Giraudin and Nicole Olaya

*DISCLAIMER: This blog is for the use of a school project