WATER POLLUTION

INTRODUCTION | CAUSES | EFFECT| PREVENTION

WATER

Fire
Extinction

Agriculture

Washing

Importanc
e of
Water

Transportat
ion

Processing
Food

Drinking

WHAT IS WATER POLLUTION ?

WATER POLLUTION IS THE CONTAMINATION OF WATER BODIES

(E.G. LAKES, RIVERS, OCEANS, AQUIFERS AND GROUNDWATER).
THIS FORM OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION OCCURS WHEN
POLLUTANTS ARE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY DISCHARGED INTO
WATER BODIES WITHOUT ADEQUATE TREATMENT TO REMOVE
HARMFUL COMPOUNDS.
WATER POLLUTION AFFECTS THE ENTIRE BIOSPHERE PLANTS
AND ORGANISMS LIVING IN THESE BODIES OF WATER. IN ALMOST
ALL CASES THE EFFECT IS DAMAGING NOT ONLY TO INDIVIDUAL
SPECIES AND POPULATION, BUT ALSO TO THE NATURAL
BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES.

EXISTENCE

POLLUTION FROM TOXIC CHEMICALS THREATENS LIFE ON THIS

PLANET. EVERY OCEAN AND EVERY CONTINENT, FROM THE
TROPICS TO THE ONCE-PRISTINE POLAR REGIONS IS
CONTAMINATED

WORLD WILDLIFE FOUNDATION (WWF)

WHEN EARTH'S POPULATION WAS MUCH SMALLER, NO ONE BELIEVED POLLUTION WOULD EVER
PRESENT A SERIOUS PROBLEM. IT WAS ONCE POPULARLY BELIEVED THAT THE OCEANS WERE
FAR TOO BIG TO POLLUTE. TODAY, WITH AROUND 7 BILLION PEOPLE ON THE PLANET, IT HAS
BECOME APPARENT THAT THERE ARE LIMITS. POLLUTION IS ONE OF THE SIGNS THAT HUMANS
HAVE EXCEEDED THOSE LIMITS.

EARTH IS REFERRED TO AS THE WATER PLANET BECAUSE TWO-THIRDS OF THE EARTHS SURFACE
IS COVERED IN WATER. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE WATER ON EARTH IS SEAWATER AND IS UNFIT
FOR DRINKING, IRRIGATION, AND INDUSTRIAL USES BECAUSE IT CONTAINS LARGE AMOUNTS OF
DISSOLVED SALTS. ONLY ABOUT 3 PERCENT OF THE EARTHS WATER IS FRESH WATER AND ONLY A
SMALL PORTION OF THAT WATER CAN BE USED FOR DRINKING AND OTHER HUMAN NEEDS.

CAUSE
MOST WATER POLLUTION DOESN'T BEGIN IN THE WATER ITSELF. TAKE THE OCEANS:
AROUND 80 PERCENT OF OCEAN POLLUTION ENTERS OUR SEAS FROM THE LAND.
VIRTUALLY ANY HUMAN ACTIVITY CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE QUALITY OF OUR WATER
ENVIRONMENT. WHEN FARMERS FERTILIZE THE FIELDS, THE CHEMICALS THEY USE ARE
GRADUALLY WASHED BY RAIN INTO THE GROUNDWATER OR SURFACE WATERS NEARBY.
SOMETIMES THE CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION ARE QUITE SURPRISING. CHEMICALS
RELEASED BY SMOKESTACKS (CHIMNEYS) CAN ENTER THE ATMOSPHERE AND THEN FALL
BACK TO EARTH AS RAIN, ENTERING SEAS, RIVERS, AND LAKES AND CAUSING WATER
POLLUTION. THAT'S CALLED ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION. WATER POLLUTION HAS MANY
DIFFERENT CAUSES AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT IS SUCH A DIFFICULT
PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

Sewage
Industrial
and
Mining
Waste
Wastewat
Activities
er
Accidenta
Marine
l Oil
Dumping
Leakage

INDUSTRIAL WASTE
INDUSTRIES PRODUCE HUGE AMOUNT OF WASTE WHICH CONTAINS TOXIC
CHEMICALS AND POLLUTANTS WHICH CAN CAUSE AIR POLLUTION AND DAMAGE TO
US AND OUR ENVIRONMENT. THEY CONTAIN POLLUTANTS SUCH AS LEAD,
MERCURY, SULPHUR, ASBESTOS, NITRATES AND MANY OTHER HARMFUL
CHEMICALS. MANY INDUSTRIES DO NOT HAVE PROPER WASTE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM AND DRAIN THE WASTE IN THE FRESH WATER WHICH GOES INTO RIVERS,
CANALS AND LATER IN TO SEA. THE TOXIC CHEMICALS HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO
CHANGE THE COLOR OF WATER, INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MINERALS, WHICH IS
KNOWN AS EUTROPHICATION, CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER AND POSE
SERIOUS HAZARD TO WATER ORGANISMS.

SEWAGE AND WASTEWATER

THE SEWAGE AND WASTE WATER THAT IS PRODUCED BY EACH HOUSEHOLD IS
CHEMICALLY TREATED AND RELEASED INTO SEA WITH FRESH WATER. THE
SEWAGE WATER CARRIES HARMFUL BACTERIA AND CHEMICALS THAT CAN
CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. PATHOGENS ARE KNOWN AS A COMMON
WATER POLLUTANT. MICROORGANISMS IN WATER ARE KNOWN TO BE CAUSES OF
SOME VERY DEADLY DISEASES AND BREEDING GROUNDS FOR OTHER
CREATURES THAT ACT LIKE CARRIERS. THESE CARRIERS INFLICT THESE
DISEASES VIA VARIOUS FORMS OF CONTACT ONTO AN INDIVIDUAL. A VERY
COMMON EXAMPLE OF THIS PROCESS WOULD BE MALARIA.

MINING ACTIVITIES
MINING IS THE PROCESS OF CRUSHING THE ROCK AND EXTRACTING COAL AND
OTHER MINERALS FROM UNDERGROUND. THESE ELEMENTS CAN INCREASE THE
AMOUNT OF TOXIC ELEMENTS IN WATER WHICH MAY RESULT IN HEALTH
PROBLEMS. MINING ACTIVITIES EMIT SEVERAL METAL WASTE AND SULPHIDES
FROM THE ROCKS WHICH IS HARMFUL TO WATER.

MARINE DUMPING
THE GARBAGE PRODUCE BY EACH HOUSEHOLD IN THE FORM OF PAPER,
ALUMINUM, RUBBER, GLASS, PLASTIC, FOOD IS COLLECTED AND DEPOSITED
INTO THE SEA IN SOME COUNTRIES. THESE RUBBISH NEED 2 WEEKS TO 200
YEARS TO DECOMPOSE. WHEN SUCH RUBBISH ENTERS THE SEA, THEY NOT
ONLY CAUSE WATER POLLUTION BUT ALSO HARM ANIMALS IN THE SEA.

ACCIDENTAL OIL LEAKAGE

OIL SPILL POSE A HUGE CONCERN AS OIL CANNOT DISSOLVE IN WATER. A SHIP
CARRYING LARGE QUANTITY OF OIL MAY SPILL IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS WHICH
CAN CAUSE VARYING DAMAGE TO SPECIES IN THE OCEAN DEPENDING ON THE
QUANTITY OF OIL SPILL, SIZE OF OCEAN AND THE TOXICITY OF POLLUTANT.

EFFECTS
WATER POLLUTION IS VERY HARMFUL TO HUMANS, ANIMALS AND WATER
LIFE. THE EFFECTS CAN BE CATASTROPHIC, DEPENDING ON THE KIND OF
CHEMICALS, CONCENTRATIONS OF THE POLLUTANTS AND WHERE THERE ARE
POLLUTED.THE EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION ARE VARIED AND DEPEND ON
WHAT CHEMICALS ARE DUMPED AND IN WHICH LOCATIONS.
MANY WATER BODIES NEAR URBAN AREAS (CITIES AND TOWNS) ARE HIGHLY
POLLUTED. THIS IS THE RESULT OF BOTH GARBAGE DUMPED BY
INDIVIDUALS AND DANGEROUS CHEMICALS LEGALLY OR ILLEGALLY DUMPED
BY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, HEALTH CENTERS, SCHOOLS AND MARKET
PLACES.

EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION TODAY

IN 2010, THERE WAS A HUGE OIL SPILL IN AMERICA BY BP. OF THE 400 MILES OF
LOUISIANA COAST, APPROXIMATELY 125 MILES HAVE BEEN POLLUTED BY THE OIL SPILL.
OVER 1,000 ANIMALS (BIRDS, TURTLES, MAMMALS) HAVE BEEN REPORTED DEAD,
INCLUDING MANY ALREADY ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST. OF THE ANIMALS
AFFECTED BY THE SPILL THAT ARE STILL ALIVE ONLY ABOUT 6% HAVE BEEN REPORTED
CLEANED, BUT MANY BIOLOGISTS AND OTHER SCIENTISTS PREDICT THEY WILL DIE TOO.
IN NOVEMBER 2012, BP AGREED A SETTLEMENT WITH THE US GOVERNMENT WORTH
$4.5BN, INCLUDING A $1.26BN CRIMINAL FINE.
IN MARCH 2011, A VERY POWERFUL TSUNAMI HIT THE JAPAN COAST. THE SEA LEVEL
ROSE AND WATER CAME INTO THE LAND, DAMAGING 4 OF THE 6 REACTORS IN THE
FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
EXPERTS CONFIRM THAT THERE IS SLIGHT INCREASED RISK OF SOME CANCER TYPES
FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE EXPOSED TO THE RADIATION. THESE INCLUDED PEOPLE
LIVING IN THAT AREA AND SOME WORKERS AT THE PLANT.

WATER POLLUTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Death of
aquatic
animals

Disruption
of foodchains

Diseases

Destruction
of
ecosystems

DEATH OF AQUATIC ANIMALS

THE MAIN PROBLEM CAUSED BY WATER POLLUTION IS THAT IT KILLS LIFE
THAT DEPENDS ON THESE WATER BODIES. DEAD FISH, CRABS, BIRDS AND
SEA GULLS, DOLPHINS, AND MANY OTHER ANIMALS OFTEN WIND UP ON
BEACHES, KILLED BY POLLUTANTS IN THEIR HABITAT (LIVING
ENVIRONMENT).

DISRUPTION OF FOOD-CHAINS
POLLUTION DISRUPTS THE NATURAL
FOOD CHAIN AS WELL. POLLUTANTS
SUCH AS LEAD AND CADMIUM ARE
EATEN BY TINY ANIMALS. LATER,
THESE ANIMALS ARE CONSUMED BY
FISH AND SHELLFISH, AND THE FOOD
CHAIN CONTINUES TO BE DISRUPTED
AT ALL HIGHER LEVELS.

DISEASES
EVENTUALLY, HUMANS ARE AFFECTED BY THIS PROCESS AS WELL. PEOPLE
CAN GET DISEASES SUCH AS HEPATITIS BY EATING SEAFOOD THAT HAS
BEEN POISONED. IN MANY POOR NATIONS, THERE IS ALWAYS OUTBREAK OF
CHOLERA AND DISEASES AS A RESULT OF POOR DRINKING WATER
TREATMENT FROM CONTAMINATED WATERS.

DESTRUCTION OF ECOSYSTEMS
ECOSYSTEMS (THE INTERACTION OF LIVING THINGS IN A PLACE,
DEPENDING ON EACH OTHER FOR LIFE) CAN BE SEVERELY CHANGED OR
DESTROYED BY WATER POLLUTION. MANY AREAS ARE NOW BEING AFFECTED
BY CARELESS HUMAN POLLUTION, AND THIS POLLUTION IS COMING BACK
TO HURT HUMANS IN MANY WAYS.

PREVENTION
WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES ARE CRITICAL TO
IMPROVING WATER QUALITY AND REDUCING THE NEED FOR COSTLY
WASTEWATER AND DRINKING WATER TREATMENT. BECAUSE WATER POLLUTION
CAN COME FROM MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES, A VARIETY OF POLLUTION
PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES ARE NEEDED.

Do's

Don'
ts

Minimize the use

of pesticides,
herbicides,
fertilizers.

pour fat from cooking

or any other type of
fat, oil, or grease
down the sink.

Make a compost
pile from
vegetable scraps.

dispose of household
chemicals or cleaning
agents down the sink
or toilet.

Run the washing

machine only
when you have a
full load. This
conserves
electricity and
water.

flush pills, liquid or

powder medications
or drugs down the
toilet.

WATER PURIFICATION
EARTH IS REFERRED TO AS THE WATER PLANET BECAUSE TWO-THIRDS OF THE
EARTHS SURFACE IS COVERED IN WATER. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE WATER ON
EARTH IS SEAWATER AND IS UNFIT FOR DRINKING, IRRIGATION, AND
INDUSTRIAL USES BECAUSE IT CONTAINS LARGE AMOUNTS OF DISSOLVED
SALTS. ONLY ABOUT 3 PERCENT OF THE EARTHS WATER IS FRESH WATER AND
ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THAT WATER CAN BE USED FOR DRINKING AND
OTHER HUMAN NEEDS. NEARLY ALL THE WATER TO BE USED FOR DRINKING
AND OTHER HUMAN REQUIREMENTS MUST BE TREATED TO MAKE IT SAFE.
TREATMENT PLANTS PURIFY WATER BY REMOVING SUSPENDED PARTICLES,
BACTERIA AND OTHER HARMFUL SUBSTANCES.

OIL SPILL CLEANUP

OIL, OR PETROLEUM, IS AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE NATURAL RESOURCE BECAUSE IT
IS A MAJOR SOURCE OF ENERGY. PETROLEUM IS USED MOSTLY AS FUEL FOR
INDUSTRY, HEATING AND TRANSPORTATION. IT IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF
RAW MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF PLASTICS, SYNTHETIC FIBERS,
INSECTICIDES, DETERGENTS, PAINTS AND SOME MEDICINES. OIL SPILLS CAN BE
HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. OIL SPILLED ON THE GROUND CAN CONTAMINATE
GROUNDWATER, STREAMS, RIVERS, AND LAKES THAT MAY BE USED AS SOURCES
OF DRINKING WATER. OIL SPILLS ON WATER CAN BE HARMFUL TO AQUATIC PLANTS,
FISH AND OTHER ANIMALS. SOME OF THE LARGEST OIL SPILLS HAVE OCCURRED IN
THE OCEANS, SEAS, AND MOST RECENTLY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. SEVERAL
TECHNIQUES CAN BE USED TO CLEAN UP OIL SPILLS ON WATER SUCH AS
SURROUNDING THE SPILL WITH A FLOATING BARRIER AND SUING PUMPS OR
SKIMMERS TO REMOVE THE OIL OR SPREADING DISPERSANTS OVER THE OIL WHICH
CAUSE THE OIL TO BREAK UP INTO VERY TINY DROPS THAT MIX WITH THE WATER.

PHOSPHATE CLEANUP
PHOSPHATES ARE IMPORTANT PLANT NUTRIENTS AND ARE USED IN MOST
FERTILIZERS. IN SOME AREAS OF THE COUNTRY PHOSPHATES ARE ALSO USED IN
DETERGENTS TO INCREASE THE CLEANING POWER OF THE DETERGENT. RUNOFF OF
FERTILIZERS FROM FARMLAND WHEN IT RAINS AND THE RELEASE OF WASTEWATER
CONTAINING PHOSPHATES CAN CAUSE PHOSPHATES TO END UP IN PONDS AND
LAKES. THIS CAUSES ALGAE AND OTHER AQUATIC PLANTS TO GROW SO RAPIDLY THAT
THE WATER BECOMES CHOKED WITH PLANTS. THIS PROCESS IS CALLED
EUTROPHICATION. BECAUSE PHOSPHATES CAN LEAD TO EUTROPHICATION, MANY
AREAS OF THE COUNTRY HAVE BANNED OR RESTRICTED THE USE OF DETERGENTS
WITH HIGH PHOSPHATE CONTENT. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS USE
TECHNIQUES TO REMOVE THE PHOSPHATE FROM WASTEWATER BEFORE THE TREATED
WATER IS RELEASED INTO RIVERS OR LAKES. THE ACTIVITY CAN BE USED TO
DEMONSTRATE HOW PHOSPHATE CAN BE REMOVED FROM WATER USING ALUMINUM
IONS IN A PROCESS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT USED IN WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES.

GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION
GROUND WATER IS STORED IN AQUIFERS, ZONES OF POROUS ROCK, GRAVEL,
OR SAND LOCATED UNDER THE EARTHS SURFACE. THIS WATER IS OFTEN
PUMPED OUT OF THE GROUND AND USED FOR MANY PURPOSES, INCLUDING
DRINKING. APPROXIMATELY 53 PERCENT OF THE U.S. POPULATION GETS ITS
WATER FROM UNDERGROUND AQUIFERS. ONCE POLLUTED, GROUND WATER IS
VERY DIFFICULT TO CLEAN UP.

WATER TREATMENT
WATER TREATMENT A WATER COMPANY MUST GO THROUGH SEVERAL STEPS
TO INSURE SAFE AND PURE DRINKING WATER FOR THE COMMUNITY. THE
WATER THAT IS PROCESSED COMES FROM THE NATURAL WATER CYCLE AND
HAS USUALLY BEEN TRANSFERRED AND STORED IN A RESERVOIR BEFORE
PROCESSING. THE FOLLOWING STEPS ARE FOLLOWED IN A TYPICAL WATER
TREATMENT PLANT:

AERATION

COAGULATIO
N

SEDIMENTATI
ON

FILTRATION

CHLORINATIO
N

GROUP MEMBERS
FAITH HO - WATER, POWERPOINT AND EVERYTHING IN
BETWEEN
CAELYN - CAUSES
AINA - EFFECTS
TING YA - PREVENTION

SOURCES & CREDITS

WATER
1. HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/WATER
2. HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/WATER_POLLUTION
3. HTTP://WWW.EXPLAINTHATSTUFF.COM/WATERPOLLUTION.HTML

CAUSES
. HTTP://WWW.WATER-POLLUTION.ORG.UK/CAUSES.HTML

EFFECTS
1.

HTTP://ESCHOOLTODAY.COM/POLLUTION/WATER-POLLUTION/EFFECTS-OF-WATER
-POLLUTION.HTML

PREVENTION
1.

HTTP://WWW.SRPNET.COM/EDUCATION/PDFX/WATERTREATMENT.PDF