Water pollution accounts for 14,000 deaths everyday, worldwide. An estimated 14 billion pounds of sewage, sludge and garbage are dumped into the world's oceans on a yearly basis. The process of removing pollutants is far from foolproof. Countries which are developed and have water purification systems in place are still affected by the cumulative effects from the purification process.
Identification
Water pollution happens when harmful contaminants enter the water supply. Contaminants come in the form of microbes, synthetics, disinfectants, radioactive materials, as well as organic and inorganic waste. Water pollutants come from 2 sources. Point sources are from sewage and industrial waste. Non-point sources are caused by agricultural runoff and storm water drainage. Water's ability to absorb the materials it comes into contact with means contaminants are easily transferred from one location to another. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for maintaining water quality and monitoring activities that threaten our water supply.
Function
Non-point pollutants are the leading cause of water pollution. Any runoff that occurs as a result of rainfall or melting snow carries organic and inorganic pollutants into our rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Any materials on the ground or in the soil are absorbed into the water and recirculated within our water supplies. Chemicals used in agriculture, toxic materials from energy production, and bacteria from livestock wastes are all sources of non-point pollutants. As a result, our drinking water supplies, wildlife and recreational waters pose health and environmental risks to all forms of life.
Significance
The effects of water pollution on humans and animals varies depending on the type of pollutant involved. Organic materials and nutrients account for the build-up of algae bodies of water. This build-up eventually depletes the oxygen content of the water, which kills off the fish as well as other aquatic organisms. Bacterial microbes from sewage spread infection within aquatic populations as well as livestock, and they eventually make their way into our drinking water. As a result, virus strains within the human population become more and more resilient to medicines. Sediment accumulations from heavy metals used in industrial plants reside in our lakes and rivers. Fish and shellfish living in these waters make up a large portion of the fish we eat. Heavy metal pollutants have been linked to birth defects and identified as cancer-causing agents.
Prevention/Solution
The Environmental Protection Agency is a federally-run agency assigned to protect human health and the environment. Maintaining our water quality is just one of the many areas where they work. Air quality, climate concerns and environmental planning to support our ecosystems are just a few of the projects under their jurisdiction. To combat water pollution, the EPA tracks the levels of metals, oils, sediments and pesticides in our water supplies. Other factor that affect water quality such as temperature, flow and the health of aquatic life are also closely monitored. Rating systems are set up to identify which water sources are contaminated, at risk or cleared for public use. This system allows them to assess how effective control measures are and which areas need improvement.
Warning
Water purification processes rely heavily on the use of chlorine to eliminate harmful bacteria and disease-causing organisms. And while the effects of chlorinated water don't pose an immediate threat, long term use has been linked to cancers of the liver, bladder and colon according to Francis T. Mayo, director of the Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory. Reports from The National Cancer Institute show the risk of getting cancer is 93 percent higher for people who drink chlorinated water. Chlorination is also identified as a cause of heart disease, high blood pressure, allergies and atherosclerosis. Researchers attribute these causes to byproducts that form when chlorine reacts with organic compounds in the water. These resulting byproducts are organic mutations that contain carcinogenic materials.
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