Water Pollution, Effects and Impact

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (like oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, aquifers, and groundwater) usually caused due to human activities. Infested with waste ranging from floating plastic bags to chemical waste, our water bodies have turned into a pool of poison. Water pollution is any change in the physical, chemical or biological properties of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment  that will have a detrimental consequence of any living organism. 

Some of the most commonly occurring water pollutants are: domestic waste, industrial effluents, insecticides and pesticides, and detergents and fertilizers.

Some of the water pollution that is caused is by Direct Sources, such as factories, waste management facilities. refineries etc, that directly release waste and harmful by-products into the nearest water source without treating them. Indirect sources include pollutants that enter the water bodies via groundwater or soil or via the atmosphere as acid rain.

What are the effects of water pollution?

Water is an essential and general need of life with an undeniable effect directly or indirectly. Water pollution may pose serious threat to the environment as well as lives. Pollutant effects may vary depending on their types and source.

Firstly, we will have disappearance of biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems. Ecosystems are extremely dynamic and respond to even swater pollution impactmall changes in the environment. Water pollution can cause an entire ecosystem to collapse if left unchecked. 

In humans, drinking or consuming polluted water in any way has many disastrous effects on our health. It causes typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and various other diseases. Also, humans are harmed by the alteration in the food chain.

Water Pollution Impact

All organisms, including man need water for their survival. Humans are the main cause of water pollution, which is triggered in many ways. One of the major environmental issues affecting humanity is the increasing worldwide contamination of freshwater systems as a consequence of industrial and chemical compound materials being emptied into their pathways/runways, majorly in form of micro-pollutants. In the same way, the pesticides used in agricultural fields filter through underground channels and reach the consumption networks and also as a result of accidental spillage of oil, This consequently endangers both the aquatic and human life. It is therefore not surprising that freshwater pollution is a strong public menace, which requires global concern. 

By 2025, an estimated around 5 billion people out of a total population of around 8 billion will be living in areas of water stress. 

We must ensure water availability, its sustainable management and sanitation for all.