Fresh Water PollutionBy Oknha Eam

Pollution

What is pollution? According to the Oxford Dictionary; Pollution is the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects.

Types of Pollution There are 3 major types of pollution:

Air PollutionWater Pollution

Soil Pollution

What is Fresh water pollution?

The direct or indirect human alteration of the biological, physical, chemical or radiological integrity of freshwater.

Where can freshwater be found?

97.4% is oceans. 2.6% Ice.0.014% drinkable.

2 types of freshwater pollution.

Pollution of the surface waterWhen the pollutant enters a lake, pond, or river

Pollution of the ground waterThe pollutant finds its way into aquifer, along with water of percolation, it deteriorates the quality of groundwater

Surface water pollution.

Domestic sewage, industrial waste, agricultural residues, radioactive substances and heated waste waters are some of the important pollutants.

Four major causes:Domestic waste water and sewageIndustrial wastesAgricultural wastesPhysical pollutants

Domestic Waste Water and Sewage

water-borne wastes derived from household activities such as bathing, laundering, food processing and washing of utensils.

A major ingredient of detergents is phosphate. These produce offensive smell and choke the water bodies.

Industrial waste

Most of the rivers and fresh water streams which pass near the major cities, townships or other human dwellings are polluted by industrial wastes or effluents.

Agriculture waste

It includes the following types of waste: manure, and other wastes from farm and poultry houses, slaughterhouse waste, fertilizer runoff from croplands, harvest wastes, pesticides, and salt and silt drained from irrigated or eroded land.

Physical pollutants

A pollutant characterized by its influence on environmental conditions caused by forces and operations of physics, such as noise, microwave radiation, vibration, etc.

Physical water pollutants are either (a) much larger particles or (b) physical factors such as temperature change, both of which while not typically toxic, cause a variety of harmful effects.

Pollution of the ground water

Saltwater encroachment associated with over drafting of aquifers or natural leaching from natural occurring deposits are natural sources of groundwater pollution.

Freshwater life zones.

Freshwater life zones occur where water with a dissolved salt concentration of less than 1% by volume accumulates on or flows through the surfaces of terrestrial biomes.

The major components of a freshwater ecosystem are producers (plants with roots and phytoplankton), consumers (zooplankton, fish, and turtles), and decomposers (bacteria and fungi).

Pollution affects freshwater ecosystem.

Mostly. freshwater ecosystems may become unbalanced by factors due to human activities.

Human activities affect the bioavailability of chemicals to organisms, cause temperature fluctuations, and modify rainfall, pH and salinity.

Water-soluble wastes pollute water easily.

Species that can be affected.

insects

crustaceans

fish

amphibians

arthropods

plants

fungi

bacteria

algae

viruses

Adverse effects

The main source of freshwater pollution can be attributed to discharge of untreated waste, dumping of industrial effluent, and run-off from agricultural fields.

3 major effectsGroundwater and its contaminationChemicals in drinking waterDiseases

Groundwater and its contamination

Many areas of groundwater and surface water are now contaminated with heavy metals, POPs (persistent organic pollutants), and nutrients that have an adverse affect on health.

Sometimes the water gets polluted at source due to various reasons and mainly due to inflow of sewage into the source.

Chemicals in drinking water

Chemicals in water can be both naturally occurring or introduced by human interference and can have serious health effects.

Diseases

A large number of chemicals that either exist naturally in the land or are added due to human activity dissolve in the water, thereby contaminating it and leading to various diseases.

Cure or alleviation

Educate to change consumption and lifestyles

Invent new water conservation technologies

Recycle wastewater

Improve irrigation and agricultural practices

Appropriately price water

Develop energy efficient desalination plants

Improve water catchment and harvesting

Look to community-based governance and partnerships

Develop and enact better policies and regulations

Holistically manage ecosystems

Improve distribution infrastructure

Shrink corporate water footprints

Build international frameworks and institutional cooperation

Address pollution

R&D / Innovation

Water projects in developing countries / transfer of technology

Climate change mitigation

Population growth control

Conclusion

Water is the most important component that we need in our daily life. So by decreasing the water pollution is the same as saving our own lives.

References

http://www.lenntech.com/aquatic/introduction.htm

http://www.preservearticles.com/201101072796/main-causes-of-fresh-water-pollution.html

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Water_pollution?topic=58075

http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/water/health.htm

http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/experts-name-the-top-19-solutions-to-the-global-freshwater-crisis/