Causes effects and control measures of water pollution
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
CAUSES:
- Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a “universal solvent,” water is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth.
- It’s the reason we have Kool-Aid and brilliant blue waterfalls.
- It’s also why water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve into and mix with it, causing water pollution.
EFFECTS:
Some of these water-borne diseases are:
- Typhoid, Cholera, Paratyphoid Fever, Dysentery, Jaundice, Amoebiasis and Malaria. Chemicals in the water also have negative effects on our health.
- Pesticides – can damage the nervous system and cause cancer because of the carbonates and organophosphates that they contain.
MEASURES TO CONTROL WATER POLLUTION:
- Keep out oils, fat, or grease from the sink.
- Abstain from flushing contaminated liquids, pills, drugs, or medications down the drain.
- Desist from using the toilet as a bin.
- Ensure minimal use of bleach or detergents.
- Reduce the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers.
- Proper sewage treatment and management.
What is Water Pollution?
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (like oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, aquifers and groundwater) usually caused due to human activities. Water pollution is any change in the physical, chemical or biological properties of water that will have a detrimental consequence o any living organism.
Drinking water, also called Potable Water, is the water that is considered safe enough for human and animal consumption. This is water that is generally used for drinking, cooking, washing, crop irrigation etc. These days chemicals, bacteria and other pollutants are even affecting our drinking water.
Sources of Water Pollution
Some of the most commonly occurring water pollutants are
• Domestic Waste
• Industrial effluents
• Insecticides and pesticides
• Detergents and Fertilizers
Some of the water pollution that is caused is by Direct Sources, such as factories, waste management facilities. refineries etc, that directly release waste and harmful by-products into the nearest water source without treating them. Indirect sources include pollutants that enter the water bodies via groundwater or soil or via the atmosphere as acid rain.
Effects of Pollution of Water
1. Diseases: In humans, drinking or consuming polluted water in any way has many disastrous effects on our health. It causes typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and various other diseases.
2. Destruction of Ecosystems: Ecosystems are extremely dynamic and respond to even small changes in the environment. Water pollution can cause an entire ecosystem to collapse if left unchecked.
3. Eutrophication: Chemicals in a water body, encourage the growth of algae. These algae form a layer on top of the pond or lake. Bacteria feed on this algae and this decreases the amount of oxygen in the water body, severely affecting the aquatic life there.
4. Effects the food chain: Disruption in food chains happens when toxins and pollutants in the water are consumed by aquatic animals (fish, shellfish etc) which are then consumed by humans.
Prevention
The best way to prevent large-scale water pollution is to try and reduce its harmful effects. There are various small changes we can make to protect ourselves from a scary future where water is scarce.
1. Save Water: Conserving water is our first aim. Water wastage is a major problem globally and we are only now waking up to the issue. Simply small changes you can make domestically will make a huge difference.
2. Better treatment of sewage: So treating waste products before disposing of it in a water body helps reduce water pollution on a large scale. Agriculture or other industries can reuse this wastewater by reducing its toxic contents.
3. Use environmentally friendly products: By using soluble products that do not go on to become pollutants, we can reduce the amount of water pollution caused by a household.