Examine the principal causes and effects of water pollution

Topic: Examine the principal causes and effects of water pollution

Teacher’s Name: Rod Jenkins

Date: 24th January, 2012

Word Count: 1313

Recently, water pollution is a worldwide problem. As we know more than 70% of Earth’s surface was covered by water, however, scientists estimate only 0.01% of the water can be used for humans and animals. Water pollution can be defined by the water contains pollutants which have damaging chemicals and salvaged materials can make the water quality change and reduce the water exploitation value caused by animals or by humans. This essay will discuss several causes which include industries, agriculture and households, and also will focus on effects of water pollution which in the environmental, economic and social areas.

The causes of water pollution can be divided in three areas, which in industrial, agricultural and household areas. Industrial pollution is one cause of water pollution. Industrial wastes, toxic chemicals and industrial accidents are belonging to industrial pollution. Firstly, discharges of industrial wastes, which usually come from factories or nuclear plants. One example of this is in the Cuyahoga River where polluted by chemicals, heavy metals and other stuffs during 1952 to 1953. According to a report, at least 155 tons of industrial wastes were directly discharged into the river every day (Gay, 1990, p. 16). Secondly, the process of manufacturing or producing was another pollution source. For example, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are kind of highly toxic chemicals. It is widely used to make circuit boards. But now most countries have banned it. As the widespread use of PCBs, people found this chemical material even in the body of bird and fish in the Arctic (Water pollution: an introduction, 2009). In spite of this, humans discharged about 0.5 million tons of PCBs into the environment in the 20th century. Finally, industrial accidents were another pollution source. Benzene a kind of oil used to make plastics and chemical products, which are a highly toxic material. For instance, discharge of benzene into the Songhua River by the explosion at a factory in Harbin. As a result, about 3.8 million people affected by water supply and five peoples were killed by the water pollution incident (‘Toxic slick reaches city’, 2005, p. B1).

The second principal causes of water pollution were agriculture, related to nutrients, stock excrement and farm wastes. Firstly, nutrients, which include chemical materials, such as nitrates and phosphates (Scarsbrook & Rutherford, 2009). Farming fertilizer is an example of this. Especially, chemical fertilizers used to add nutrients to agricultural lands, which discharger into rivers or lakes. However, it can make algae or plankton growth dramatically which can remove oxygen from the water (Water pollution: an introduction, 2009). It is ultimately leading to death of fish and other organisms. Furthermore, stock excrement, which contains nitrogen and phosphorous has seep into farmland. For example, in Waikato total were 4,500 dairy farms and each year average 3.6 tonnes of nitrogen percolated. Then, they are leaking into the water (Irvine, 2008, p. 1). Finally, organic farm wastes are another type of water pollutant like silage or liquid slurry. One example of this is in the River Severn, where nearly ten thousand fish died, causing pig slurry leaked into a river can reduce oxygen in the water (Water pollution: an introduction, 2009).

A final cause was households, related to waste water, plastics and human activities. To begin with, detergents are kind of washing compounds which used a household. However, it makes water become eutrophic resulting from the addition of nutrients and sediments. The problem is such algae will deplete oxygen in the water and threat to the survival of fish and other species. For example, a lot of U.S. lakes and streams became eutrophic with phosphorus during the 1960s caused by detergents discharged into rivers (Gay, 1990, p. 15). Secondly, plastics are not toxic chemicals, but plastics are damaging to fish, seabirds and other marine organisms. According to a scientific study, about 25% of whole seabirds include some plastic residues in the 1980s (Water pollution: an introduction, 2009). Thirdly, human activities are another type of water pollutant, like rubbish dumps. Rubbish can make a kind of mixture named leachate which can discharge into rivers and pollute the drinking water source (‘Rivers’, n.d.).

As a result of water pollution, millions of tons toxic sources or nontoxic source discharge into water. The results were immediate, some will influence on the environment, some will influence on the economy, and some will influence society. However, ultimately affect humans.

The effect was water pollution in the environmental area, such as acid rain and eutrophication. It consists of air or land, ecosystem and plants aquatic. Firstly, polluted air through rain falls on the land. The acid rain, for example, the rainwater contains sulphuric and nitric acids, which come from sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. It can turn into plants and animals, and even kill them or poison them such as fish and shellfish (‘Rivers’, n.d.). Secondly, water pollution can harm the ecosystem. Like, as before we called eutrophic in waterways can lead to oxygen reduced rapidly in the body of water that kill fish life. For instance, the Gulf of Mexico is one of the most dramatic dead zones that grow about 18,000 square kilometres algae or plankton in this area each summer (Water pollution: an introduction, 2009). Finally, water pollution also can harm aquatic plants. Lakes become an accumulation area which has fertilisers and nutrients will impact plant life. Lake Waikere, for example, the water becomes dirty and cloudy caused by it used 80-odd tonne each year from out of the lake (Irvine, 2008, p.1).

The second principal effect of the water pollution was economic. To begin with, the economic cost is one of the economic benefits. Water pollution can bring economic cost when an oil spill happens. For example, the Rena oil spill which happened in 5th October last year has already cost taxpayers $25 million New Zealand dollars (Westbrook & Cowlishaw, 2012). Secondly, people will spend money on agricultural pollution. For instance, the state of Waikato’s waterways, fisherman catches shortfin and longfin eels, but they found the size and number of eels was decreased. As a result, the government spends money to improve water quality (Irvine, 2008, p.1). Thirdly, water pollution also can improperly influence tourism. People will clean up the beaches when an oil spill occurs. At the same time, the tourist will decrease rapidly when the incident happens, because they do not want to see black oil or rubbish on beautiful beaches.

The final principal effect of the water pollution was human society. Firstly, poison foods or radioactive waste can bring diseases to humans and influence health of humans. For example, when people eat poisoned shellfish they will get ill called paralytic shellfish poisoning. Another example is radioactive pollution in Europe. Britain and France have two nuclear power plants that both discharge radioactive waste water directly into water. As we know, radioactive pollution it can kill or can cause cancer (Water pollution: an introduction, 2009). Secondly, water pollution can make water unsuitable for drinking. For instance, when Harbin’s chemical factory spewed benzene into a river, the government turned off the tap water and people panicked buying bottled water, food and milk (‘Toxic slick reaches city’, 2005, p. B1). Finally, water pollution also can influence the community environment, such as lakes, rivers, beaches and schools. For example, local government closed schools during the accident at Harbin. Another example is the state closed the beaches when the Rena oil spill close to New Zealand.

This essay examines the proposition that water pollution influenced the humans and nature, causing natural reasons and human activities. Water pollution is still a serious problem in today’s society. Drinking water and aquatic organisms, even humans will be affected by water pollution. In general, people can use hybrid car, eat genetically modified food and use of recycled materials in order to reduce pollution of the environment. Perhaps, people could be aware of solve the problem through education, laws and economics.

References:

Gay, K. 1990. Water Pollution. New York: Franklin Watts. pp. 9-18

“Water pollution: an introduction”, 2009. Accessed 24.03.10 from: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html

Irvine, D. 2008. “Poisoned waterways”, Waikato Times, September 27, p.1 (adapted).

“Rivers” (n.d.) Accessed 28.01.10 from:
http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/facts/rivers.htm

“Toxic slick reaches city”, 2005. Dominion Post, February 25. B1

Scarsbrook, M. and K. Rutherford. 2009. “Water quality – water pollution; Lakes Rotorua and Taupo, and the Manawatu River; and management of water quality.” Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Accessed 17.2.11 from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/water-quality/2/4/5

Laura Westbrook and Shane Cowlishaw. 2012. “Rough conditions plague Rena salvage”. [Online] Accessed 15.1.12 from http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/rena-crisis/6243297/Rough-conditions-plague-Rena-salvage