Heavy metals from industrial processes can accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers. These are toxic to marine life such as fish and shellfish, and can affect the rest of the food chain. This means that entire animal communities can be badly affected by this type of pollutant.Industrial waste often contains many toxic compounds that damage the health of aquatic animals and those who eat them. Some toxins affect the reproductive success of marine life and can therefore disrupt the community structure of an aquatic environment. Microbial pollutants from sewage often result in infectious diseases that infect aquatic life and terrestrial life through drinking water. This often increases the number of mortalities seen within an environment.Organic matter and nutrients causes an increase in aerobic algae and depletes oxygen from the water column. This is called eutrophication and causes the suffocation of fish and other aquatic organisms. Sulfate particles from acid rain change the pH of water making it more acidic, this damages the health of marine life in the rivers and lakes it contaminates, and often increases the number of mortalities within an environment. Suspended particles can often reduce the amount of sunlight penetrating the water, disrupting the growth of photosynthetic plants and micro-organisms. This has subsequent effects on the rest of the aquatic community that depend on these organisms to survive. www.water-pollution.org.uk/environment.html www.google.com/search?q=how+is+water+pollution+harmful&rlz=1C1OPRA_enUS584US618&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY0pDiut7ZAhVs_IMKHSJ2CvYQ_AUICygC&biw=1455&bih=722#imgrc=qXll_0whEN-ReM:
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Try drinking untreated water nowadays and your body will immediately react to it. You will get a stomach ache at the least. Water-borne diseases account for the deaths of 3,575,000 people a year! That’s equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing every hour, and the majority of these are children.Infectious diseases can be spread through contaminated water. Some of these water-borne diseases are Typhoid, Cholera, Paratyphoid Fever, Dysentery, Jaundice, Amoebiasis and Malaria. Chemicals in the water also have negative effects on our health. Pesticides can damage the nervous system and cause cancer because of the carbonates and organophosphates that they contain. Chlorides can cause reproductive and endocrinal damage. Nitrates – are especially dangerous to babies that drink formula milk. It restricts the amount of oxygen in the brain and cause the “blue baby” syndrome.Lead – can accumulate in the body and damage the central nervous system. Arsenic causes liver damage, skin cancer and vascular diseases Flourides in excessive amounts can make your teeth yellow and cause damage to the spinal cord.Petrochemicals – even with very low exposure, can cause cancer. Discharge of untreated Raw Sewage from households and factories. Chemicals dumped from Factories. Agricultural run-offs that make their way into our rivers and streams and groundwater sources and Urbanization The rising use of synthetic organic substances like Oil Spills. Acid Rain caused by the burning of Fossil Fuels also human littering in rivers, oceans, lakes and other bodies of water. Harmful litter includes plastics, aluminum, glass and Styrofoam. Almost everything that is a byproduct of our civilization is polluting our drinking water. Governments, through various Clean Water Acts and water resource policies have sought to regulate the discharges of pollutants in the water to minimize pollution and contamination. From 1990 to 2006, an additional 1.6 billion people had access to safe drinking water. But we are not acting fast enough and most factories still find a way to dump their toxic wastes in the sea, unseen. www.theworldcounts.com/stories/how-does-water-pollution-affect-humans www.google.com/search?q=water+pollution+affect+to+our+health&rlz=1C1OPRA_enUS584US618&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiT3caojd3ZAhVDaq0KHRSCDskQ_AUICygC&biw=1455&bih=677#imgrc=whiKorypsUZEVM: Boiling is a reliable way to purify water. However, boiling uses fuel and could take a while. Moreover, on summer days, it is not actually appealing to drink hot water. Furthermore, you will need to filter the water to remove all solid particles especially if the water was taken from a doubtful; water source. Also the use of iodine solution, tablets or crystals is an effective and more convenient method. It is also available in different forms you will surely find one that would suit your budget. It has the ability to kill viruses and bacteria. They are lightweight and easy to use. However, it takes about thirty minutes before you can drink the treated water. It is also not suitable for pregnant women. In addition, it has an aftertaste that you might not like. Once you drop the tablet into the water container, shake the container and hold the bottle upside down and have the lid slightly unscrewed to let the iodine to flow into the threads of the bottle cap. The use of Chorine drops has the ability to kill bacteria in water. It is also lightweight, affordable, and easily accessible. You need to wait for thirty minutes before you can drink the treated water. You need to make sure not to put so many drops as it could also be poisonous if used too much. Another is use of water filters which can remove bacteria in water. Carbon on the other hand gets rid of the chemicals and awful tastes while iodine coated screens can further remove viruses. Treated water can be consumed after the treatment and the water has no bad taste. However, they are heavier than iodine or chlorine, more costly and needs manual pumping. Also, you will need to clean the filters after the activity and at some point; you will need to replace them after treating several gallons of water. This looks similar to a small flashlight. You just swish it around in the water for a few minutes and the bacteria can already be killed. This is very easy to carry with you and so easy to use. However, you will need batteries to operate it and batteries could run out. Moreover, the solid particles in the water are not filtered. The use of ultraviolet light is all of these are great tips and will make a stay in Bryce Canyon that much better, because you’ll know how to take care of yourself if you get in a bind. These tips can be useful while camping, hiking, and mountain climbing. www.bryceviewlodge.com/make-water-safe-drinking-simple-water-purification-techniques/ www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=clean+water+jpg&spell=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9qdrG_9vZAhXD54MKHTzoB0cQBQgzKAA&biw=1366&bih=652&dpr=1#imgrc=efkFO4xTk6hiOM: What is water pollution? Water pollution happens when toxic substances enter water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans and so on, getting dissolved in them, lying suspended in the water or depositing on the bed. This degrades the quality of water.Not only does this spell disaster for aquatic ecosystems, the pollutants also seep through and reach the groundwater, which might end up in our households as contaminated water we use in our daily activities, including drinking. Sources and effects of water pollution Water pollution can be caused in a number of ways, one of the most polluting being city sewage and industrial waste discharge. Indirect sources of water pollution include contaminants that enter the water supply from soils or groundwater systems and from the atmosphere via rain. Soils and groundwaters contain the residue of human agricultural practices and also improperly disposed of industrial wastes. Types of water pollutants Pollutants can be of varying kinds: organic, inorganic, radioactive and so on. In fact, the list of possible water contaminants is just too vast to be listed here. wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/water_pollution/ Nutrients Some wastewater, fertilizers and sewage contain high levels of nutrients. If they end up in water bodies, they encourage algae and weed growth in the water. This will make the water undrinkable, and even clog filters. Too much algae will also use up all the oxygen in the water, and other water organisms in the water will die out of oxygen starvation. Surface water includes natural water found on the earth's surface, like rivers, lakes, lagoons and oceans. Hazardous substances coming into contact with this surface water, dissolving or mixing physically with the water can be called surface water pollution. Oxygen Depleting Water bodies have micro-organisms. These include aerobic and anaerobic organisms. When too much biodegradable matter (things that easily decay) end up in water, it encourages more microorganism growth, and they use up more oxygen in the water. If oxygen is depleted, aerobic organisms die, and anaerobic organisms grow more to produce harmful toxins such as ammonia and sulfides. Round water pollution when humans apply pesticides and chemicals to soils, they are washed deep into the ground by rainwater. This gets to underground water, causing pollution underground. This means when we dig wells and bore holes to get water from underground, it needs to be checked for ground water pollution. Microbiological In many communities in the world, people drink untreated water (straight from a river or stream). Sometimes there is natural pollution caused by microorganisms like viruses, bacteria and protozoa. This natural pollution can cause fishes and other water life to die. They can also cause serious illness to humans who drink from such waters. Suspended Matter Some pollutants (substances, particles and chemicals) do not easily dissolve in water. This kind of material is called particulate matter. Some suspended pollutants later settle under the water body. This can harm and even kill aquatic organisms that live at the bottom of water bodies. Chemical Water Pollution Many industries and farmers work with chemicals that end up in water. This is common with Point-source Pollution. These include chemicals that are used to control weeds, insects and pests. Metals and solvents from industries can pollute water bodies. These are poisonous to many forms of aquatic life and may slow their development, make them infertile and kill them. Oil Spillage Oil spills usually have only a localized effect on wildlife but can spread for miles. The oil can cause the death to many fish and get stuck to the feathers of seabirds causing them to lose their ability to fly. eschooltoday.com/pollution/water-pollution/types-of-water-pollution.html http://slideplayer.com/slide/9854221/32/images/6/Major+Types+of+Water+Pollution.jpg DO NOT pour fat from cooking or any other type of fat, oil, or grease down the sink. Keep a “fat jar” under the sink to collect the fat and discard in the solid waste when full. DO NOT dispose of household chemicals or cleaning agents down the sink or toilet. DO NOT flush pills, liquid or powder medications or drugs down the toilet.
Avoid using the toilet as a wastebasket. Most tissues, wrappers, dust cloths, and other paper goods should be properly discarded in a wastebasket. The fiber reinforced cleaning products that have become popular should never be discarded in the toilet.Avoid using a garbage disposal. Keep solid wastes solid. Make a compost pile from vegetable scraps.Install a water efficient toilet. In the meantime, put a brick or 1/2 gal container in the standard toilet tank to reduce water use per flush. Run the dishwasher or clothes washer only when you have a full load. This conserves electricity and water.Use the minimum amount of detergent and/or bleach when you are washing clothes or dishes. Use only phosphate free soaps and detergents. Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers. DO NOT dispose of these chemicals, motor oil, or other automotive fluids into the sanitary sewer or storm sewer systems. Both of them end at the river. If your home has a pump or cellar drain, make certain it does not drain into the sanitary sewer system. www.simsbury-ct.gov/water-pollution-control/pages/ten-things-you-can-do-to-reduce-water-pollution http://slideplayer.com/slide/1591787/5/images/68/Reducing+Water+Pollution.jpg The substances that cause water pollution are chemicals and germs. Germs are small organisms that cause diseases and chemicals are poisons, which are mainly produced by industries. Many of the chemicals that are produced by industries are not found naturally in the environment or are only found in very small amounts. Different industrial processes produce different types of products and waste products. Unfortunately many industries release their waste products directly into rivers or let them leak into the groundwater. Some examples are Heavy metals such as nickel, molybdenum, zinc, cadmium and lead are mined and processed by the mining and ore-smelting industries, many of which occur in Gauteng. These metals are easily washed into streams and groundwater. Copper and mercury are another two heavy metals, which are found in fungicides. Fungicides are also sprayed on crops and easily washed into rivers. These heavy metals are toxic to biological life including the people who may have to drink from the polluted rivers. Toxic waste products were dumped into the rivers or into landfill sites close to where people lived causing health problems and even death. Groundwater is becoming more and more polluted with a number of toxic substances including insecticides, petroleum products and heavy metals. When too much fertiliser is washed from farmlands into a river then that water will also become polluted. Human sewage also contains germs that cause diseases such as hepatitis and cholera. Most diseases in the world are related to water and sanitation. To break the cycle of disease, there must be improvements in the quality of water that people use. Most rural communities in South Africa do not have access to running water, toilets or latrines and they use watercourses for defecation and urination. In many cases, where they are present, latrines are situated upstream from where the community collects their water supply. Cholera is a disease that is caused by bacteria (Vibrio cholerae) that is spread through water contaminated by faeces from an infected person. Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transmitted by some species of female mosquitoes. Bilharzia only occurs in areas where conditions are right for the parasite to be able to complete its life cycle. http://www.waterwise.co.za/site/water/environment/substances.html media.buzzle.com/media/images/buzzle/300-240615-what-is-water-pollution.jpg
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