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More than half of the Earth is composed of water. Water is one of
our most precious natural resources on the Earth. Humans like ourselves are
polluting our rivers, lakes, and oceans. This greatly affects our drinking water
and the water used for recreational and industrial purposes.
What causes water pollution?
Water pollution is created when a body of water is contaminated by large amounts
of waste is dumped or drained into it. Sewage and fertilizers containing many
harmful elements contribute to pollution. Silt and other suspended solids, such
as soil, wash off fields and run into rivers during rains or thawing snow. Organic
materials draining into bodies of water cause another form of pollution. Pathogens
are another very harmful type of pollution. Pathogens include such organisms
such as bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. These are carried into the water by
untreated sewage, and could cause many sicknesses. Another form of water pollution
is created by oil spills. The last form of pollution is caused by heat discharged
during industrial processes such as cooling by factories and power plants. All
of these pollutants lead to disruptions in the food chain and sicknesses or
deaths among humans and animals.
Becoming aware of pollutants will help protect the water supplies.
Millions of gallons of water are needed everyday for drinking, washing, irrigating
crops, and cooling industrial processes. People can survive without food for
several weeks. However humans would die in less than one week without water.
Since water is one of the most important resources, people need to be made aware
of the causes of pollution.