Water pollution is a serious issue the world is combating today. The scariest part about this statement is that so many individuals aren’t educated on water pollution and everything it entails. Here’s what you should know about water pollution—start educating yourself today.
What Is Water Pollution?
Water pollution is when harmful or dangerous substances contaminate the water, decreasing its quality. Several types of harmful substances can contaminate several types of water; the type of substance that contaminates the water will determine the negative effects that come from it.
Types of Water Contamination
There are several different types of water contamination; we’ve provided you with three of the most common below:
- Sewage and wastewater: Wastewater is storm and rain runoff, sewage, and any used water that comes from our sinks and showers. With these different wastewater options comes negative element such as metals, solvents, toxic sludge, oils, grease, and chemicals.
- Oil pollution: Big oil spills as well as the oil and gas from our vehicles contribute greatly to water pollution.
- Radioactive substances: Radioactive waste contamination is any pollution that emits radiation. A few ways this happens is through nuclear power plants, the making and testing of military weapons, the creation of radioactive materials for medicine, and uranium mining.
Negative Effects of Water Pollution
The dangerous of water pollution are extensive. It can harm human health as well as the environment. Consuming contaminated water not only causes proper dehydration but also leads to diseases and other problems such as cancer, respiratory issues, digestive issues, neurological disorders, and even cardiovascular disease.
Water pollution also directly disrupts nature’s water cycle. This is harmful to not only animals but also other living inhabitants as well. A healthy ecosystem is not possible when the water supply is contaminated. When one issue occurs, it creates a horrible chain of negative effects on the whole environment.
For an educational inside scoop, we’ve provided you with exactly what you should know about water pollution. Our hope is that we’ve shed some light on this topic and helped you better understand that this is indeed a problem. Do your part in not contributing to the awful problem our world is facing today.