Every single person around the globe needs water to sustain life. But globally, at least 2 billion people use drinking water sources highly contaminated. Contaminated water is estimated to cause 485,000 diarrhoeal deaths each year . Every single day, 2 million tonnes of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste is released into water all around the world. This is equivalent to the weight of 6.8 billion people according to the World Health Organisation. This reckless disposal of waste is responsible for the infectious waterborne diseases being the number one killer of children around the world . So why are humans the ones destroying this livelihood? To answer this question, possible reasons for water pollution as well as their consequences must be mentioned first.
One of the major causes of water pollution is industrial waste which has been and still is increasing exponentially in almost all areas of the world since the Industrial Revolution in the late 19thcentury. China and India have been the main culprits in this area producing tonnes of industrial waste into the seas .In this context, the water is mainly used as a solvent as well as for cleaning and cooling down the facilities. Although the produced wastewater has to be cleansed by sewage treatment systems, in some countries the environmental protection regulations are rather lacking. This causes toxic water entering the oceans, rivers and lakes. Exhaust gases, which are released into the environment unfiltered or partially filtered, als;;;o pollute water through the acid rain which emerges as a result.
In addition to industrial water pollution, the dumping of waste into water ecosystems also plays an important role. As most of the waste products usually take centuries to decompose, world's oceans, rivers and lakes that run through cities are nowadays much more likely to be dirty. For example, a plastic bottle takes about 450 years to decompose. Even after this long time, the plastic has not disappeared, but has merely split into smaller particles - which are named micro plastics. Micro plastics constitute a great danger for animals as well as humans, who feed on such poisoned fish.
One of the worst types of water pollution is pollution caused by oil. The oil that leaks from tankers and ships by accident forms a thick layer on top of the water. Due to the higher density of oil compared to the density of water, the oil does not dissolve in the water and in the worst case might remain forever.
A direct consequence of water pollution is the promotion of the growth of algae through the chemicals that are in the water. Over time these algae create a thick layer over the water bodies. As the bacteria living in the water feed on the algae, the amount of oxygen in the water decreases, which affects the aquatic life of the entire body of water. The habitat of many animals and plants is permanently prevented and the food chain is disturbed. The human impact on nature disrupts the highly sensitive ecosystem of water. The result of the process of water pollution, besides the destruction of the habitat of many plants and animals, is the development of many diseases such as hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, affecting humans. Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by water pollution each year. A typical example is the Mississipi river that carries an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution into the Gulf of Mexico each year creating a ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf each summer about the size of New Jersey according to DoSomething.org – a global movement of young people making positive change.
So even if Water Pollution appears to be a presumed consequence of a modern society with a global economy, we as human beings need to do everything necessary to conserve this vital resource. That is because, humans as well as numerous animals and plants depend on clean water as a source of nutrition or even as a habitat.
Tips on how to reduce Water Pollution
1. Do not pour fatty material from cooking or any other fats from cooking or any other type of fat, oil or grease down the sink.
2. Do not dispose household chemicals or cleaning agents down the sink or toilet.
3. Do not flush pills, liquid or powder medications or drugs down the toilet.
4. Do not dispose plastic into the water systems. Reuse or recycle the plastic.
5.Teach children about the dangers of water pollution.
6. Report any water pollution incidents to relevant authorities.
About the Author:
Paula Schuppan is a Student based in Dresden - Germany
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