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What is the Cause of Water Pollution?
Water pollution refers to the changes in the physical,
biological, and chemical conditions of any body of water
which harmfully disrupts the balance of the ecosystem.
Like any type of pollution, water pollution results when
an overwhelming amount of waste coming from different
sources of pollutants can no longer be accommodated by the
natural ecosystem. Consequently, when the wastes are not
destroyed as fast as they are produced, they make it
unfavorable to humans and many other organisms. But that's
not all. Learn more about what causes water pollution.
There are actually many specific reasons behind what
causes water pollution. However, it is important to
familiarize yourself with the two main categories of water
pollution. Some pollution comes directly from oneís
specific location. This type of pollution is called point
source pollution such as sewage pipes that empty polluted
water into the river and farmland. Meanwhile, non-point
source pollution is pollution that comes from large areas
like gasoline and other dirt from highways that go into the
lakes and rivers.
What are the causes water pollution? Who are the culprits
who should be responsible for the harm brought by their
pollutants? How do these sources of pollution pollute
different bodies of water?
One major cause of water pollution that has caused
serious environmental and health problems are the pollutants
coming from chemical and industrial processes. When
factories and manufacturers pour their chemicals and
livestock wastes directly into streams and rivers, the water
becomes poisonous and oxygen levels are depleted causing
many aquatic organisms to die. These wastes include solvents
and toxic substances. Most of the wastes are not
biodegradable. Power plants, paper mills, refineries,
automobile factories dispose waste into the
rivers.
The heated water from the power plants is called thermal
pollution. This kills aquatic animals and plants by reducing
the oxygen content of the water. Power plants use water to
cool their machineries, thus changing the temperature of the
water.
Aside from thermal pollution, there are also organic and
inorganic pollutants. The organic wastes include refuse from
slaughter houses, fish and meat canning factories, and
leather tanning companies, manufacturing plants, pesticides
and crude oil companies. Since organic wastes are decomposed
by microorganisms, much of the dissolved oxygen in water is
used up and the waster begins to stink.
Inorganic wastes include toxic and corrosive substances
like acids, heavy metals, mercury, cadmium and lead which
can impair the normal body processes. Battery manufacturers,
mining, paper mills increase the concentration of mercury
making the water dangerous and poisonous for most living
things.
Another cause of water pollution is from pesticides. Farm
pesticides poison aquatic plants and animals. Animal manure,
chemical fertilizers, phosphate detergent pollute water by
supplying excess nutrients. This pollution is known as
eutrophication. This greatly increases the growth of algae
in water thereby decreasing the amount of oxygen level in
water causing the death of many aquatic organisms.
Water is also being polluted by garbage specifically
plastics and other plastic-like substances. Some plastic
like nylon can entangle fishes and other marine animals.
Plastics that have broken down into tiny pieces can be eaten
by sea creatures which may cause their death. Since plastic
is non-biodegradable, it will continue to kill more
fishes.
One more cause of water pollution is sewage coming from
households. Since no one wants to live in a polluted area,
near a dumpsite or landfill, the wastewater and untreated
sewage are carried away from the home polluting different
bodies of water. Most developing countries practice this
type of sewage disposal.
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Even
modern countries carry poorly treated sewage to
canals leading to major bodies of water. The danger
is when the sewage pipes gets broken and waste
contaminates the drinking water. When this happens,
the breakage will open a wide array of water borne
diseases that will surely pose peril to
consumers.