Definition Of Water Pollution
Whenever harmful substances such as sewage, toxic chemicals, silt etc. get mixed with water, the water gets polluted. Such water is called “polluted water”
More About Water pollution
- The substances that pollute water are called “water pollutants”
- Water is becoming scarce because of agricultural activities, industrial activities, and increase in population
- Water becomes dirty after we use it for washing clothes, bathing etc
- We are adding some material into water, after using it for various purposes
- Whenever harmful substances such as sewage, silt, chemicals etc, get added to water it gets polluted
- Water pollution occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds
- Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water
- In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only the individual species and populations, but also the natural biological communities
- Pollutants get into water mainly by human causes or factors
- Water pollution is the second most imperative environmental concern after air pollution
- Any change or modification in the physical, chemical and biological properties of water that will have a detrimental consequence on living things is water pollution
- Water covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface. It is a very important resource for people and the environment
- Water pollution affects drinking water, rivers, lakes and oceans all over the world
- In many developing countries, it is usually a leading cause of death, by people drinking from polluted water sources
- Water pollution affects not only individual living species, but also populations and entire functioning ecosystems that exist in the waters
- Human beings have now realized the importance of clean water as a foundation for life
- In recent time, more and more organizations and councils are working hard to educate, protect, restore waterways and encourage practices that help keep waters from contamination, and also to preserve water ecosystems from destruction
Types of water pollution
- Some wastewater, fertilizers and sewage contain high levels of nutrients. If they end up in water bodies, they encourage algae and weed growth in the water. They even clog filters
- Surface water includes natural water found on the earth's surface, like rivers, lakes, lagoons and oceans. Hazardous substances coming into contact with this surface water, dissolving or mixing physically with the water can be called surface water pollution
- When too much biodegradable matter end up in water, it encourages more microorganism growth, and they use up more oxygen in the water. Aerobic organisms die and anaerobic organisms flourish
- When humans apply pesticides and chemicals to soils, they are washed deep into the ground by rain water. This gets to underground water, causing pollution underground
- Sometimes there is natural pollution caused by microorganisms like viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Fishes may die
