Water is essential for life, as the world constantly reminds us with more severe droughts. All living things depend on it as a necessary resource, and its growth is critical for all social and economic progress, energy generation, and climate change adaptation. However, a huge hurdle is now standing in our way. How can we avoid polluting our lakes, canals, rivers, seas, and oceans?
Water pollution is a major issue in the world today. It can be caused by many different things, including agricultural runoff and industrial waste.
However, there are ways you can prevent water pollution by taking simple steps.
Industrial Waste
Industrial waste is produced by factories, industrial sites, mines, chemical plants, and other similar places. Industrial waste can contain chemicals such as mercury, lead, or cadmium that are toxic to humans and animals. In addition to these metals and chemicals, industrial waste can also contain oil and grease, damaging the environment. Industrial waste is often corrosive, which means it can cause damage to structures near where it is dumped, such as roads or bridges.
Industrial pollution can also include radioactive material from nuclear power stations, oil depots, or nuclear processing plants. One of the biggest examples of consequesnces of water contamination by industrial waste is the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
In 1942, Camp Lejeune, a U.S. Marine Corps base in North Carolina, was founded. Specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were found by the Marine Corps in 1982 in two of the eight water treatment facilities at the station.
PCE was the main contaminant in the water from the Tarawa Terrace water treatment facility (perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene). There have been so many losses and health problems as a result of the water poisoning that individuals are still suing for compensation. Recently, President Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act into law.
Wastewater and Sewage
Wastewater is the water that comes out of your home or business, and it can contain harmful bacteria and viruses. If you don’t dispose of wastewater properly, these contaminants may end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Chemicals and dangerous microorganisms were conveyed by sewer water, posing major health risks. Pathogens that cause diseases are transported via household sewers. Sewer and wastewater systems contain bacteria that spread dangerous diseases and serve as a breeding ground for those who possess those diseases.
Marine Dumping
Marine dumping is the illegal disposal of waste into the ocean. Even though it is banned in many countries, it still happens.
The main problem with marine dumping is that it can cause a number of problems:
- Reduction in oxygen levels in the water (which can lead to fish dying)
- Increase the acidity of the water (which interferes with photosynthesis and damages corals)
Oil Spills
Oil spills are one of the top causes of water pollution in the world. Oil spills can be caused by accidents, deliberate dumping, or oil tankers that sink at sea.
You probably don’t think much about it when you spill a gallon of gasoline on your driveway and wash it off with a garden hose. But if that same amount of gasoline spilled into an ocean or river, then things would get ugly quickly: the oil would spread through the water and coat everything, from plants to fish to birds, that came within its reach. This can have devastating effects on ecosystems for years after an accident has occurred (and even more so if people were involved).
Fur-bearing species like sea otters and birds with water-repellent feathers lose their capacity to insulate against the elements when exposed to oil. Birds and animals will get hypothermic if they lack the capacity to ward off water and protect themselves from the cold water.
If left untreated for more than 24 hours after an accident occurs, oil spills can kill fish and birds outright; scientists estimate that up to one million seabirds die each year because of this type of pollution alone.
Toxic Chemicals and Fertilizers
The most common types of water pollution are caused by toxic chemicals and fertilizers (including pesticides).
Fertilizers contain nitrates, phosphates, and other materials that can cause algae blooms, depleting water oxygen. These blooms often kill fish and other aquatic life.
Pesticides kill insects or weeds on farms, but they can be toxic to humans and animals if they enter waterways. They also cause large amounts of runoff from agricultural land during rainstorms.
Ways to Prevent Water Pollution
There are many simple ways to prevent water pollution, including keeping a safe distance from rivers and lakes, treating waste before throwing it out, being conscious of your use of fertilizers, using environmentally friendly household products, disposing of chemicals properly, and much more.
A good way to start is by simply teaching yourself how to be an environmentalist. For example: in the United States, there is a law called the “bottle bill” that requires all bottles sold in the state to be recyclable or reusable. In fact, there are many other countries like Canada and United Kingdom that have bottle bills as well. The U.S. bottle bill states with the greatest return rates are Michigan and Oregon, where customers return more than 85% of the recyclable beverage containers.
It’s important for people everywhere because we use so much plastic on a daily basis (including me), but we don’t really think about where this stuff goes at the end of its life cycle or how harmful it can be for our planet when thrown away improperly (such as onto landfills).
Although water pollution seems inevitable, there are many simple ways to prevent it from happening. It’s important to understand what causes water pollution so that we can take steps toward reducing it in our daily lives.
