8 effects of water pollution

Water pollution is putting our health at risk. Unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined. Here are six causes of water pollution, as well as what we can do to reduce it. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve into and mix with it, which causes water pollution as a result.

Households release sewage and wastewater, which makes its way to the ocean, mixing with freshwater and affecting the water quality and marine life. Also, the bacteria and pathogens found in wastewater breed disease, and cause health-related issues in humans and animals. Large oil spills and leaks are some of most significant causes of water pollution.

These are often caused by oil drilling operations in the ocean, but nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil that makes its way into marine environments each year come not from oil tankers, but from land-based sources like factories, farms and cities.

Prevention of water pollution

In England and Wales, there are about 3, pollution incidents involving oil and fuel each year. Oil makes drinking water unsafe and a substantial amount of oil released into oceans or become river water pollution, will destroy marine life and the ecosystems that support them. Oil is also naturally released from under the ocean floor through fractures known as seeps.

Industrial waste is one of the biggest sources of water contamination. Sometimes, industrial waste is dumped into nearby freshwater systems. The toxic chemicals leached from this waste can make the water unsafe for human consumption, and they can also cause the temperature in freshwater systems to change, making them dangerous for marine life. To protect crops from pests, farmers use pesticides, however when these substances seep into the groundwater, they can harm animals, plants and humans.

Additionally, when it rains, the chemicals mix with rainwater, which flows into waterways and creates further pollution.