Water Pollution Nabilah

WATER POLLUTION INTRODUCTION Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, industrialized countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well. In the most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45 percent of assessed stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres, and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were classified as polluted.

DEFINATION Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater caused by human activities, which can be harmful to organisms and plants that live in these water bodies. It occurs when pollutants are discharged directly into water bodies without treating it first.

Water pollution categories Surface water and groundwater have often been studied and managed as separate resources, although they are interelated. Sources of surface water pollution are generally grouped into two categories based on their origin.

Point source pollution Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain. The U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) defines point source for regulatory enforcement purposes.

Non-point source pollution Non-point source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a single discrete source. NPS pollution is often a cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. Nutrient runoff in stormwater from "sheet flow" over an agricultural field or a forest are sometimes cited as examples of NPS pollution. Contaminated stormwater washed off of parking lots, roads and highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the category of NPS pollution. However, this runoff is typically channeled into storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to local surface waters, and is a point source. The CWA definition of point source was amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as industrial stormwater, such as from construction sites.

Groundwater pollution Interactions between groundwater and surface water are complex. Consequently, groundwater pollution, sometimes referred to as groundwater contamination, is not as easily classified as surface water pollution.] By its very nature, groundwater aquifers are susceptible to contamination from sources that may not directly affect surface water bodies, and the distinction of point vs. nonpoint source may be irrelevant. A spill of a chemical contaminant on soil, located away from a surface water body, may not necessarily create point source or non-point source pollution, but nonetheless may contaminate the aquifer below. Analysis of groundwater contamination may focus on soil characteristics and hydrology, as well as the nature of the contaminant itself.

CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION When you consider the many different causes of water pollution, it's not difficult to understand why drinking water contamination is such a widespread problem. Water pollution occurs both when harmful substances directly enter the water supply, as well as through changes that occur in the environment as a result of pollution causing activities. When you realize how many different types of water pollution there are, it's easy to see why water filtration systems are a necessity for every home.

Common Causes Of Water Pollution Oil Petroleum often pollutes water in the form of oil. Oil spills from ships and supertankers, and from off-shore oil drilling operations cause pollution. Oil and petrol that leaks from cars and trucks also washes off roads and into waterways through storm water drains. Oil forms a thin layer on top of water and act like a lid on the surface and the water. Animals and plants living in the water can't breathe, the oil coats the feathers of water birds, and the fur of animals that swim in the water, causing them to become sick and, if there is a great amount of oil on their bodies, to die. Even the insects that live on the surface of the water are badly affected.

Fertilizers Fertilizers contain nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates that help plants to grow. That's why farmers use them. When fertilizers are washed into rivers and streams the nitrates and phosphates cause excessive growth of water plants.

The plants clogs the waterways, use up oxygen in the water, and block light to deeper waters. This is harmful to the fish and other invertebrates that live in water because it make it hard for the animals to breathe.

Soil Pollution of waterways is also caused when silt and soil washes off ploughed fields, construction and logging sites, and from river banks when it rains.

Sewage and other organic pollutants When material such as leaves and grass clippings, and waste from farm animals enters the water, it rots and breaks down and uses up the oxygen in the water. Many types of fish and other aquatic animals cannot survive. Organisms such as bacteria and viruses enter waterways through untreated sewage in storm-water drains, run-off from septic tanks, and from boats whose owners dump sewage into the water. These microscopic pollutants cause sickness in people and in animals that drink or live in the water.

Chemicals Chemical pollution entering rivers and streams causes great destruction. The chemicals can come from factories, construction sites, mining operations, and from homes when people pour chemicals down the sink or down the toilet.

Plastics Floating plastic is ugly, and harmful to the environment. Plastic rubbish is not biodegradable (it doesn't rot away after we have used it) It can choke animals that try to eat it, and drown those that get tangled in it.

Litter When people drop litter such as plastic and cans, food wrappers and cigarette butts, they can be washed by the rain into rivers and other waterways through storm water drains in the streets. At the beach, it is important that people take home their litter or put it into garbage bins at the beach so that it doesn't get into the sea. Other Causes of Water Pollution Include: •

Air Pollution

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Carbon Dioxide

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Fuel Additives

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Increased Water Temperature

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Industrial Development

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Landfills

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Mining Activities

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Gasoline

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Household Cleaning Products

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Personal Care Products

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Pesticides

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Pharmaceuticals

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Sediment

The Effects Of Water Pollution The effects of water pollution are far-reaching. And it's not only humans who are affected. All plants and animals must endure poisonous drinking water, river and lake ecosystems that have become unbalanced and can no longer support biodiversity. Deforestation from acid rain can occur as well. On the whole, water pollution has long-term effects on our health and economic productivity. Fight water pollution to keep our planet safe. The effects of water pollution differ from region to region, depending on the pollutants in the water and environmental factors. Common effects of water pollution include unhealthy or poisonous water, sick animals that pass their sickness on to humans, ecosystems that are unable to support a normal diverse animal and plant habitat and more.

Pollution Affects The Food Chain Pollution in the form of organic material enters waterways in many different forms as sewage, as leaves and grass clippings, or as runoff from livestock feedlots and pastures. When natural bacteria and protozoan in the water break down this organic material, they destroyed the whole things.

Pollution Affect Aquatic Ecosystems In nature nothing exists alone. Living things relate to each other as well as to their non-living, but supporting, environments.These complex relationships are called ecosystems. Each body of water is a delicately

balanced ecosystem in continuous interaction with the surrounding air and land. Whatever occurs on the land and in the air also affects the water. If a substance enters a river or lake, the water can purify itself biologically — but only to a degree. Whether it is in the smallest stream or lake — or even in the mighty oceans — the water can absorb only so much. It reaches a point where the natural cleaning processes can no longer cope. For example, various species of fish now suffer from tumors and lesions, and their reproductive capacities are decreasing

Pollution Affect Marine Life Lakes many are persistent toxic chemicals such as DDT. Populations of fish consuming birds and mammals also seem to be on the decline. Of the ten most highly valued species of fish in Lake Ontario, seven have now almost totally vanished. People dump hazardous materials into the ocean to get rid of them. Sewage and waste from factories and cities can reach the ocean. This pollution is very harmful. It can kill the plants and animals living in the ocean. Dangerous chemicals like mercury kill the aquatic environment very quickly.

Water Pollution's Chain Reaction One of the many causes of water pollution is sewage and fertilizers that contain nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates. When these enter our water system in excess levels, the growth of aquatic plants and algae is over-stimulated. As a result of the excessive growth of these aquatic plants, our waterways are clogged. They use up dissolved oxygen as they decompose, and block light to deeper waters. Subsequently, the respiration ability or fish and other invertebrates that reside in water are also damaged.

How to Reduce Water Pollution

1. Reduce the amount of runoff that comes from your property. Reducing runoff pollution actually has two components: improving the quality of runoff and reducing the quantity. 2. Maintain your vehicle. You can see the stains from leaky cars all over any parking lot. The chemicals--motor oil, transmission fluid, and antifreeze, just to name a few--almost always get washed directly into the nearest river or body of water. Have your vehicle regularly serviced and immediately repair any leaks you notice. Driving less or getting rid of your car entirely will do a tremendous service to the environment. 3. Minimize your use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. The chemicals you spray or spread on your home, lawn, or garden don't stay there. Traces of these poisons get washed into storm drains with rainwater or snowmelt. Multiply these small amounts by thousands of households, and the effects on watersheds and aquatic life can be catastrophic. Think twice before using these products, and consider alternatives (i.e. pulling weeds, living with a few bugs around the house, or using natural predators to control pests and organic methods to control weeds). Take an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to controlling undesirable organisms, and you often won't have to use toxic chemicals at all. If you do need to use these chemicals, use only as much as you need; target their application, and don't apply them right before rainfall is expected.

4. Replace your lawn and high-maintenance plants with native plants. Lawns require a lot of water and, generally, a lot of chemicals. The same can be said for many other plants that aren't necessary suited for survival in your yard. By replacing these high-maintenance plants with native species, you can reduce or eliminate your use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, and you won't have to spend as much time tending your yard. You can also dramatically lower your water use and help prevent runoff and erosion. 5. Properly store and dispose of chemicals. Many household chemicals and automotive products are extremely toxic both to humans and to other organisms. Protect water quality by making sure these chemicals are stored in tightly sealed containers and that they aren't exposed to extreme temperatures. Clean up spills carefully, rather than leaving them on the ground or washing them into the street. When it comes time to get rid of used or unwanted chemicals, take them to your local hazardous waste recycling facility. 6. Clean up pet waste. Pet waste contains harmful bacteria and other pollutants. While a good rain storm may wash your dog or cat's poop away, it isn't really gone--it's in the water supply. Promptly pick up after your pet, and seal the waste in a plastic bag before throwing it in the trash. 7. Contain and/or compost yard waste. Yard waste that sits around can easily wash into storm drains when it rains. Even if the waste doesn't contain chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, the introduction of large quantities of sticks, leaves, and grass clippings can overwhelm waterways

with unhealthy quantities of nutrients. Remember, even beneficial and necessary substances can be harmful if there's too much of them, and waterways can't handle the sudden inflow of mass quantities of organic matter washed down storm drains.

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Compost yard wastes. Your compost should be contained in a bin or barrel--some municipalities provide these for free or at low cost--to prevent the materials from being washed away.

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Use a mulching mower instead of bagging grass clippings. Mulching mowers add a natural layer of compost to your lawn, and you don't have to deal with disposal of grass clippings.

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Dispose of yard and grass clippings properly. If you don't compost or have yard wastes that you can't compost, contact your local waste management or environmental protection agency to determine how to dispose of yard wastes. Many jurisdictions provide regularly schedule yard waste pickups, and others allow you to schedule separate pickups. In any case, bag or otherwise contain the material while you're waiting for pickup.

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Contain disturbed soil. If your revamping your landscape or tearing out old sod, you can end up with big piles of dirt and organic matter. These are highly susceptible to being washed away in runoff and should therefore be covered or otherwise contained, even if they will only be there for a short time.

8. Pick up litter and properly dispose of trash. Litter isn't just unsightly; it can also contribute to water pollution. Just about every material--from paper to cigarette butts to aluminum cans and old appliances--contains chemicals that can leach out into the environment. Everybody knows that littering is a no-no, but it's important to understand that trash or junk sitting in your yard can be just as harmful as trash illegally dumped by the side of the road. 9. Avoid using salt to de-ice walkways. In colder climates, salting walkways and driveways is a common practice. It's so common, in fact, that freshwater streams and lakes in these areas have been found to have extraordinarily high concentrations of salt--high enough to kill off fish and other aquatic organisms. Regularly and thoroughly shovel and/or sweep snow from your walkways instead of relying on salt, and sparingly apply non-toxic alternatives to salt to surfaces that need de-icing or extra traction. Examples of alternatives to salt include gravel and biodegradable, low-toxicity chemicals such as calcium magnesium acetate and liquid potassium acetate. 10. Maintain your septic system. If you have a septic system, have it regularly inspected and maintained. Overloaded or improperly functioning septic systems can spew raw sewage directly into bodies of water or can contaminate groundwater. Most septic systems should be pumped every 2-3 years. 11. Maintain a vegetated buffer between your yard and bodies of water. If you live near a body of water, keep or plant a buffer of vegetation to capture runoff from your yard. Don't mow your lawn all the way up to the shore, and

seriously consider replacing a lawn buffer with native plants. This area should be completely free of pet waste, pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. People who live in close proximity to streams, lakes, and oceans have a special responsibility in the fight against water pollution, because they can more directly contaminate these bodies of waters than others who live further away.

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Hazardous waste isn't limited to chemicals like drain cleaner or gasoline.

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Household products such as electronics, batteries, and thermometers also often contain toxic substances. If you're not sure whether something is hazardous, check with your local waste management or environmental protection department or do some research online.

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Think about the big picture. You may think that a little oil leak on your car isn't a big deal, and in a way, you're right. The oil from thousands or millions of cars with minor oil leaks, however, adds up quickly, and pretty soon you're looking at a cumulative oil spill far worse than any oil tanker crash. You can't fix all the oil leaks in the world, but you can fix yours. Be part of the solution.

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Educate your family, friends, and neighbors about ways to reduce their contributions to pollution. If your community doesn't already have environmental education programs, pollution control regulations, or a hazardous waste recycling facility, take the initiative to get the ball rolling.

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In many areas, agricultural runoff is a bigger pollution problem than urban runoff. If you're involved in agriculture, contact your local extension service or environmental protection agency to find out more about ways you can reduce your environmental impact.

How to Clean Up Our Water

Ten simple ways you can help stem the tide of polluted runoff. Everyday household activities are a major contributor to polluted runoff, which is among the most serious sources of water contamination. When it rains, fertilizer from lawns, oil from driveways, paint and solvent residues from walls and decks and even waste from pet Fido are all washed into storm sewers or nearby lakes, rivers and streams -- the same lakes, rivers and streams we rely on for drinking, bathing, swimming and fishing. Here are some ways you can help reduce polluted runoff.

In Your Home:

1. Correctly dispose of hazardous household products. Keep paints, used oil, cleaning solvents, polishes, pool chemicals, insecticides, and other hazardous household chemicals out of drains, sinks, and toilets. Many of these products contain harmful substances -- such as sodium hypochlorite, petroleum distillates, phenol and cresol, ammonia and formaldehyde -- that can end up in nearby water bodies. Contact your local sanitation, public works, or environmental health department to find out about hazardous waste collection days and sites. If a local program isn't available, request one.

2. Use nontoxic household products whenever possible. Discarding toxic products correctly is important, but not buying them in the first place is better. Ask local stores to carry nontoxic products if they don't already. For examples of safe substitutes for toxic household products.

3. Recycle and dispose of all trash properly. Never flush non-degradable products -- such as disposable diapers or plastic tampon applicators -- down the toilet. They can damage the sewage treatment process and end up littering beaches and waters.

4. Conserve water. Use the most efficient plumbing fixtures. A whopping 73 percent of the water you use in your home is either flushed down the toilet or washed down the shower drain. Toilet dams or bricks placed in your toilet tank can save four gallons of water per flush, or up to 13,000 gallons a year for the average family of four. promptly; a dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons a day, a leaking toilet 200 gallons. Sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them down.

In Your Yard:

5. Use natural fertilizers. Apply natural fertilizer such as compost, manure, bone meal or peat whenever possible. Ask your local hardware and garden supply stores to stock these natural fertilizers. You can also buy a composting setup at a garden supply or hardware store, or by mail. Composting decreases the need for fertilizer and helps soil retain moisture. 6. Avoid over-watering lawns and gardens. Use slow-watering techniques on lawns and gardens. Over-watering lawns can increase the leaching of fertilizers into groundwater. Trickle or "drip" irrigation systems and soaker hoses are 20 percent more efficient than sprinklers.

7. Decrease impervious surfaces around your home. Having fewer hard surfaces of concrete and asphalt will improve drainage around your home and in your yard. Do your landscaping with vegetation, gravel or other porous materials instead of cement; install wood decking instead of concrete, and interlocking bricks and paver stones for walkways. Redirect rain gutters and downspouts to soil, grass or gravel areas. Planting vegetation at lower elevations than nearby hard surfaces allows runoff to seep into soil.

8. Maintain septic systems properly. Have the septic tank cleaned out every three to five years. Effluent from failed or poorly maintained septic systems can contaminate groundwater. Monitoring and cleaning your system regularly also saves money by prolonging the life of the

system.

9. Recycle used motor oil. Avoid pouring waste oil into gutters or down storm drains, and resist the temptation to dump wastes onto the ground. A single quart of motor oil that seeps into groundwater can pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water. If you don't have a place to recycle used motor oil in your community, ask your local sanitation or public works department to create one.* When you buy motor oil, ask if the store or service station has a program to buy back waste oil and dispose of it properly. Keep up with car maintenance to reduce leaking of oil, coolant, antifreeze and other hazardous fluids.

10. Be "green" when washing your car. Hand-wash your car on the lawn with a bucket of soapy water, rags and a hose. Just turning off the hose between rinsings can save up to 150 gallons. Or, if you don't want to do it yourself, choose a car wash that recycles its water.

Important Information About Water Pollution:

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Chemicals that are illegal in the U.S., such as DDT, are legally dumped into the oceans in other parts of the world.

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Enormous quantities of oil, chemicals, and other contaminants are dumped into the earth's water supply every year.

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Wastewater that has not been properly treated is likely to carry a variety of disease causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

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The fertilizers and insecticides that people use to improve the appearance of their lawns and gardens contribute to water pollution.

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It isn't safe to assume that tap water is safe for consumption directly from the faucets in your home.

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Even though tap water has been treated, it still contains potentially harmful synthetic and organic contaminants.

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The best way to make sure your family isn't consuming contaminated water is to utilize a drinking water filtration system in your home.

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The Clean Water Act regulates the dumping of chemicals into the oceans, but does not legislate water quality.

How to Help Prevent Water Pollution

Everyone can make an important difference in preventing water pollution. Keeping contaminants out of the water supply is much easier than removing them once they are already there. Since everyone needs water to survive, it's certainly correct to state that each person has a responsibility to play an active role in water pollution prevention in his or her community. Tips for Water Pollution Prevention Avoid dumping any type of waste in storm drains, or in •

their vicinity.

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Do not pour any chemicals or hazardous materials down the drain.

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Immediately report illegal dumping practices you observe to the proper authorities.

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Keep your car in good working order and regularly inspect for leaks.

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Make sure to pick up your pets' waste.

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Minimize the use of chemical lawn and plant fertilizers.

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Properly maintain your home's septic tank system.

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Recycle antifreeze, motor oil, and other automotive fluids.

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Reduce your usage of insecticides and pesticides in your home and yard.

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Take steps to minimize soil erosion around your home.

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Use a drinking water filtration system to keep your family from consuming harmful chemicals.

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Utilize organic plant food in your vegetable gardens and flower bed Additional environmentally responsible activities.