Water pollution can be defined as contamination of water or bringing forth any changes to the pH value of the water bodies. Such alteration may occur due to the augmentation of certain substances to the water through physical phenomenon, chemical properties, sewage discharge, and trade effluent (discharging any liquid, solid or gaseous substance to the water resources). This act may cause pollution by degrading the quality of available water resources, which genuinely raises vexation among the health and safety of living organisms, including either terrestrial or aquatic.
Urbanisation subsumes roads, houses, commercial spaces, and skyscrapers. Sometimes, to accommodate buildings, the channel of the streams is diverted, which disturbs the flow of water instead. Such areas are prone to water lags during the monsoon season.
Though urbanisation is considered advancement made towards the growth of the society, the same shall be mounted with responsibility which requires supplying and distributing the demand of basic needs to the localities. However, with rapid growth in population raises the potentiality of groundwater pollution, which shall be caused due to dumping of waste material (inclusive of human excretes and chemicals)
Some of the water pollution caused by industries discharges several toxic chemicals from the factories, which may affect water sources, aquatic life forms, and terrestrial animals and humans when such toxic water is consumed.
The chemicals used in agriculture, such as pesticides and insecticides, are rich in nitrogen, potassium, hydrocarbon, metallic salts, and phosphorus. When such fertilisers are used in excess, it reaches the groundwater through micro-organisms or roots of the crops or trees and mixes with the surface water such as lakes, rivers, or streams.
Nuclear power plants, hospitals, and science processes discharge massive radioactive waste daily. Nuclear waste consists of several reactive chemicals such as uranium, and it comes with no permanent disposal system. Such waste shall remain for decades without perishing. When this waste gets merged with the surface water, it gets highly reactive and loses its pH value for purity for consumption and may lead to –
When heat is released in water, it decreases the capacity of water to hold dissolved oxygen in solution, and with low levels of oxygen, aquatic species shall seize to survive.
The ocean acts as the ultimate sink of all-natural and artificial pollutants and has grown to be an immediate remedy for dumping the garbage. The ocean holds –
The collision of two ships, the Dawn Kanchipuram and the BW Maple caused 251.46 tons of oil spill covering 35 KM of the coastal line. The cleaning of oil was held for three months involving 2000 volunteers.
The oil spill disturbed aquatic life and resulted in the demise of 100 Olive Ridley Turtles.
The ecosystem is prone to respond to small changes in the environment. Thus, the increase of the chemicals in the water body shall effectively grow algae upon such water bodies, which increases bacteria, decreasing the percentile value of the oxygen present in the water.
If humans consume such polluted water, it may cause adverse effects on their health, which may result in –
Exposure to groundwater may lead to the leaching of arsenic from soil and rock sources and contaminate the groundwater. As a result, chronic exposure may cause black foot, cholera, skin cancer, etc.
The best way to avoid water pollution is to reduce the discharge of harmful substances in such water bodies. There are several measures which we can take to protect the water resources. They are as follows –
Conserving water- Wastage of water is a global issue. Thus, domestic conservation can make a huge difference.
Better treatment of sewage – treating the toxic waste product before disposing it to the water body reduces water pollution to a greater extent, resulting in reutilization of such water.
Eco-friendly products – having or utilising soluble products in the water shall reduce the danger of water pollution and diminish the effects on aquatic life.
Further, the government has laid down various measures to check and balance the water pollution by providing relief and guidelines enacted under –
Since water is one of the significant sources of survival, it is essential to protect the water bodies. When the water is prone to exposure to hazardous gases, it becomes less suitable for consumption as the quality of water deteriorates. Pollution can occur due to domestic sewage, farms, industries, etc. We humans cannot live by having contaminated surface water or poisonous aquatic animals. Thus, to remain healthy, it is necessary to keep the environment clean. It is required to follow the quality standard for public water set by WHO and EU.
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