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biological properties of water that has a harmful effect on living things is water pollution.
y Water pollution affects all the major water
for drinking and for other consumption processes. It is also not suitable for agricultural and industrial use.
y The effects of water
pollution are harmful to human beings, plants, animals, fish and birds.
y Due to water pollution,
away from the home quickly and hygienically through sewage pipes.
y Sewage is treated in water treatment plants
y Lead
y
This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. Lead is harmful to the health of many animals, including humans, as it can inhibit the action of bodily enzymes.
y Mercury
y
This is a metallic element and can cause health and environmental problems. Mercury is also harmful to animal health as it can cause illness through mercury poisoning.
y Nitrates
y
The increased use of fertilisers means that nitrates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
y Phosphates
y
The increased use of fertilisers means that phosphates are more often being washed from the soil and into rivers and lakes. This can cause eutrophication, which can be very problematic to marine environments.
forms a thick layer on the water surface. This can stop marine plants receiving enough light for photosynthesis. It is also harmful for fish and marine birds.
y Petrochemicals This is formed from gas or
OIL POLLUTION
y Oceans are polluted by oil on a daily basis from oil spills, routine shipping, run-offs and dumping.
feathers of marine birds stopping them from flying and blocks light from photosynthetic aquatic plants.
but can be catastrophic to local marine wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters.
MARINE DUMPING
y Dumping of litter in the sea can cause huge problems. Different items take different lengths of time to degrade in water:
y Cardboard Takes 2 weeks to degrade. y Newspaper Takes 6 weeks to degrade. y Photodegradable packaging Takes 6 weeks y y y y y
to degrade. Foam Takes 50 years to degrade. Styrofoam Takes 80 years to degrade. Aluminium Takes 200 years to degrade. Plastic packaging Takes 400 years to degrade. Glass It takes so long to degrade that we dont know the exact time.
ATMOSPHERIC y Atmospheric deposition is the pollution of water caused by air pollution. y In the atmosphere, water particles mix with carbon dioxide sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, this forms a weak acid. y Air pollution means that water vapour absorbs more of these gases and becomes even more acidic. y When it rains the water is polluted with these gases, this is called acid rain. y When acid rain pollutes marine habitats such as rivers and lakes, aquatic life is harmed.
GLOBAL WARMING
y An increase in water temperature can
result in the death of many aquatic organisms and disrupt many marine habitats.
y For example, a rise in water
temperatures causes coral bleaching of reefs around the world. This is when the coral expels the microorganisms of which it is dependent on. This can result in great damage to coral reefs and subsequently, all the marine life that depends on it.
The burning of fossil fuel releases greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. This causes heat from the sun to get trapped in the Earths atmosphere and consequently the global temperature rises.
2) Diseases can spread via polluted water. Infectious diseases such as typhoid and cholera can be contracted from drinking contaminated water
3) Acid rain, which can harm fish or plant life in lakes and rivers.
4) Pollutants in the water will alter the overall chemistry of the water, causing changes in acidity, temperature and conductivity. 5) Marine food sources are contaminated or eliminated by water pollution. 6) Altered water temperatures can kill the marine life and affect the delicate ecological balance in bodies of water, especially lakes and rivers.
toxic metals into the harbor. This has caused serious water pollution in the Hong Kong harbor.
dumping untreated human waste, toxic materials, and metal into the sea since the 1960s.
includes factory waste being deposited directly into the sea or rivers which feed directly into the sea.
y Another type of waste is agricultural run off
golf course near the waterfall at tourist attraction Frasers Hill in the state of Pahang.
y Cause it to become extremely murky and dirty
due to the silt and sand that comes from the construction.
y The waterfall which has been the centre point of
the hill has now lost all its attraction just because of the overwhelming need to attract more tourists to the place by building more facilities.
affected by the siltation caused by the development of the new 18-hole golf resort.
y Trees had to go and the soil was left with
nothing to hold on to. For each green, terraces had to be cut into the steep mountain terrain and had left scars.
y The greens have to be constantly watered and
used to keep the greens green and the grass short and tight.
y The toxins are washed away with the water and
poison the drinking source of the Orang Asli further down the stream.
off properly. As a matter of fact, it is better to use non-toxic, products for the house as far as possible.
y Dispose off your trash in a proper manner and
rivers, or seas.
products.
y Try using natural fertilizers and pesticides as
far as possible, or if not, do not overuse them or over-water gardens and lawns.
y Also, actively conserve water by turning the tap
off when you do not need running water, such as while brushing teeth