water pollution essay pdf

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An essay about causes and effects of water pollution .

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Environmental Management in South Africa, 2009

Water pollution is the degradation of water quality as measured by biological, physical or chemical criteria, and this degradation is generally judged in terms of the intended use of the water, its departure from the norm, its effects on public health, or ecological impacts. If the intended use is, for example, recreation and eco-tourism, any deviation from natural background levels (norm) may be deemed pollution. The quality of water can also be influenced by natural phenomena, such as geology, which in some cases, may cause water to be unfit for human use and consumption, but that is not regarded as pollution. Pollution of water is deemed to be a human induced impact, and is defined in the National Water Act 107 of 1998 to mean ‘the direct or indirect alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of a water resource so as to make it - (a) less fit for any beneficial purpose for which it may reasonably be expected to be used; or (b) harmful or potentially harmful - (i) to the welfare, health or safety of human beings; (ii) to any aquatic or non-aquatic organisms; (iii) to the resource quality; or iv) to property. As South Africa is a water scarce country, the removal of pollutants from effluents and wastes before it can enter the water resource, as well as the removal of pollutants from already contaminated water resources, is critical. Such removal obviously has a cost implication, and the higher the level of impurity, the more expensive the treatment of the water for re-use. Thus pollution affects the national economy, as well as the quality of life of the citizens of South Africa. This chapter will briefly discuss the factors influencing water pollution and the main water pollution problems experienced in South Africa, highlighting the biggest pollution challenges currently being faced. The legislative tools and policy options available to manage water pollution, as well as the current challenges towards dealing with water pollution, are also highlighted.

Water pollution is one of the most ecological threats we face today. It is formed when chemical compounds or waste enters water bodies such as lakes, rivers and oceans, dissolving in them, lying suspended in the water and degrading the quality of the water. Water pollution can be caused by many ways such as city sewage and industrial waste, chemical waste, oil spill, and plastic. For this reason, in this essay I am going to explain the effects of water pollution on human health, animals and clean water.

Water is a unique substance, because it can naturally renew and cleanse itself, by allowing pollutants to settle out (through the process of sedimentation) or break down, or by diluting the pollutants to a point where they are not in harmful concentrations. However, this natural process takes time, and is difficult when excessive quantities of harmful contaminants are added to the water. Meanwhile humans are using more and more materials that are polluting the water sources that we drink from through various anthropogenic activities. Rate of pollution is excessively greater than the natural rate at which water renews and cleans itself, and this is a major environmental problem. Therefore it is expedient to know the causes and effects of water pollution and thereafter proffer a sustainable solution the environmental menace.

Water pollution is a major issue for the whole word. It undermines the health and well being of humans, plants, and animals. As the world became more mechanical and smaller due to corresponds and exchange, accidental and also unsafe dumping have been contributed to the issue of water pollution. All water pollution is dangerous to the health of living organisms, but sea and river pollution can be especially adverse to all life form. Rivers and seas are used as essential sources of potable water by populations all over the world. Another genuine outcome of this pollution is the effect of this pollution on trade in the polluted areas. (TED analysis cases (n.d) Water pollution is a major global problem which requires progressing assessment and update of water resource policy at all levels. It has been suggested that water pollution is the main overall causes for passing and infections to the people nowadays, and that it accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily.An estimated 580 individuals in India die due to water pollution related sickness. About 90 percent of the water in the urban of China is polluted.As of 2007, a large portion of Chinese people have no entrance to safe drinking water. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in developing countries, developed countries also keep on struggling with contamination issues. The head of China's national development agency said in 2007 that one quarter the length of China's seven principle waterways were so harmed so the water can harmed the skin of one individual. Water is regularly alluded to as contaminated when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, such as drinking water, or experiences a right moves in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms, and earthquakes also can cause real changes in water quality and the natural status of water. (Water Pollution (n.d) Water pollution might be brought by any dangerous substance or material that makes contact with the earths water supply. This may include oil from oil tankers and oil refineries, garbage from construction sites, city streets and residential lawns, shameful transfer of dangerous materials from garbage disposal companies, chemical spills and improper chemical disposal, sewage leaks and agricultural runoffs just to name a few. Water pollution is brought by any human actives however the others are can be created by the natural resources. When water is polluted it is usually defined as either being polluted from point sources or non point sources. Point source pollution happens from a one particular area by a single source such as a large factory, oil refinery or hauling ship that contributed a massive amount of pollution within a single area. This vast scale contamination can be spread crosswise over expansive waterways affecting many miles of water, agricultural land, animal habitats and oceanic ecosystems. Non point source pollution may happen in any areas that all contribute to a body of water. This can occur from large neighborhoods with poor private grass quality from sewage leaks and other types of contaminants, city streets where garbage and chemicals are not disposed of properly and large agricultural areas that utilize unsafe chemicals which overflow into a waterway

Ov er two thirds of Earth's surface is covered by water; less than a third is taken up by land. As Earth's population continues to grow, people are putting ever-increasing pressure on the planet's water resources. In a sense, our oceans, rivers, and other inland waters are being "squeezed" by human activities-not so they take up less room, but so their quality is reduced. Poorer water quality means water pollution.

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