| Water pollution is defined as any change in water quality that negatively affects any living organism. Many forms of water pollution can be very damaging to humans. Water pollution can be of any sort or degree across a large spectrum. The type thought most adversely to affect human health consists of pathogenic organisms. These evolve from improperly treated human wastes and are blamed for more than 25 million deaths each year. These organisms are less of a problem in developed countries with means of pollution control, but they can be devastating in developing countries. In some
of these, less than half of the inhabitants have access to clean drinking water. This is especially the case in rural areas, where sewage treatment is often nonexistent.Lack of pollution control can lead to dire consequences. For example, 95 percent of Poland's water is unfit to drink. Similar conditions are present in Russia, and worse exist in a number of South American, European, and Asian countries.There are two main types of water pollution: that from point and that from non-point sources. Point sources, which exist when the pollution comes from factories or plants and is dumped from one specific spot, are far easier to monitor and regulate than non-point sources, where the pollution is scattered,
as in cases of runoff from fields and other sites. Salt can also be a water pollutant, particularly when it makes its way in high concentrations to rivers through irrigation. Indeed, salt can reach the point where it is toxic to both plants and animals. Many other substances can be classified as water pollutants, including synthetic
organic chemicals, which are used in many chemical industry products and are highly toxic to humans. The slightest exposure to them can cause birth defects, genetic disorders, and cancer. Hazardous waste leaks into groundwater can also be extremely damaging to human beings. |
