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• Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away • Oil spills make up about 12% of the
• Sewage is the term used for waste from the plant and into rivers, lakes and oceans. oil that enters the ocean. The rest
wastewater that often contains • Pollutants from industrial sources include: come from shipping travel, drains and
faeces, urine and laundry waste. o Asbestos – This pollutant is a serious health dumping.
• There are billions of people on Earth, hazard and carcinogenic. Asbestos fibres can be • An oil spill from a tanker is a severe
so treating sewage is a big priority. inhaled and cause illnesses such as asbestosis, problem because there is such a huge
• Sewage disposal is a major problem in mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and quantity of oil being spilt into one
developing countries as many people liver cancer. place.
in these areas don’t have access to o Lead – This is a metallic element and can cause • Oil spills cause a very localised
sanitary conditions and clean water. health and environmental problems. It is a non- problem but can be catastrophic to
• Untreated sewage water in such areas biodegradable substance so is hard to clean up local marine wildlife such as fish, birds
can contaminate the environment and once the environment is contaminated. Lead is and sea otters.
cause diseases such as diarrhoea. harmful to the health of many animals, including • Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms
humans, as it can inhibit the action of bodily
• Sewage in developed countries is a thick sludge in the water. This
enzymes. suffocates fish, gets caught in the
carried away from the home quickly
and hygienically through sewage
o Mercury - This is a metallic element and can feathers of marine birds stopping
pipes. cause health and environmental problems. It is a them from flying and blocks light from
non-biodegradable substance so is hard to clean photosynthetic aquatic plants.
• Sewage is treated in water treatment
up once the environment is contaminated.
plants and the waste is often disposed
Mercury is also harmful to animal health as it can
into the sea.
cause illness through mercury poisoning.
• Sewage is mainly biodegradable and o Nitrates – The increased use of fertilisers means
most of it is broken down in the that nitrates are more often being washed from
environment. the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause
• In developed countries, sewage often eutrophication, which can be very problematic to
causes problems when people flush marine environments.
chemical and pharmaceutical o Phosphates - The increased use of fertilisers
substances down the toilet. When means that phosphates are more often being Atmospheric deposition is the pollution of
people are ill, sewage often carries washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. water caused by air pollution.
harmful viruses and bacteria into the This can cause eutrophication, which can be very
environment causing health problems. problematic to marine environments.
o Sulphur – This is a non-metallic substance that is • In the atmosphere, water particles
mix with carbon dioxide sulphur
harmful for marine life.
dioxide and nitrogen oxides, this
o Oils – Oil does not dissolve in water, instead it forms a weak acid.
forms a thick layer on the water surface. This can
• Air pollution means that water vapour
stop marine plants receiving enough light for
absorbs more of these gases and
photosynthesis. It is also harmful for fish and
becomes even more acidic.
marine birds.
o Petrochemicals – This is formed from gas or • When it rains the water is polluted
petrol and can be toxic to marine life. with these gases, this is called acid
rain.
• When acid rain pollutes marine
habitats such as rivers and lakes,
aquatic life is harmed.
The causes of water pollution