Water+Pollution

   Water covers over 70% of the Earth's surface and it is an essential resource for people and the environment. Water pollution affects drinking water, rivers, lakes and oceans all over the world and this is extremely harmful for human health and the natural environment. **__Types of water pollution__ ** Water pollution can come from a range of different sources. ** Surface Water Pollution: **  Pollution of natural water resources, found on the exterior of the Earth's crust. These includes Oceans, lakes and rivers. ** Chemical Pollution: ** Metals and solvents from industrial work can pollute rivers and lakes. Pesticides are used in farming to control weeds, insects and fungi. Run-off from these pesticides can poison aquatic life. Petroleum is another form of chemical pollutant that usually contaminates water through oil spills. ** Groundwater Pollution: **   Pollution of the water found underground, which is sometimes caused by pesticide contamination in the soil. ** Microbiological Pollution: ** A naturally occuring form of pollution caused by micro-organisms, including Bacteria, Viruses and Protozoa, which can infect fish, land animals and humans.
 * Oxygen Depleting: ** Microorganisms that live in water feed on biodegradable substances. When too much biodegradable material is added to water, the number of microorganisms increase and they use up or __deplete__ the available oxygen.
 * Nutrient Pollution: ** Nutrients that are found in wastewater and fertilisers can cause excess weed and algae growth. This can contaminate drinking water, clog filters and damage other aquatic organisms because the algae uses up the oxygen in the water, leaving no oxygen for other marine life.
 * Suspended Matter Pollution: ** Some pollutants do not dissolve in water and as a result, the suspended particles eventually settle and cause a thick silt at the bottom. Biodegradable substances are also often suspended in the water and toxic chemicals suspended in water can be harmful to the development and survival of aquatic life.

**__What causes water pollution?__ **     **__Sewage and Wastewater:__** Sewage disposal is a major problem in developing countries becuase the people in these areas don’t have access to sanitary conditions and clean water. A a result, untreated sewage water can contaminate the environment and cause diseases such as diarrhoea. In developed countries such as Australia, we have sewage pipes that quickly and hygenically carry waste away from the home. However, the sewage in developed countries can also cause problems when people flush chemical and pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. When people are ill, sewage often carries harmful viruses and bacteria into the environment. **__Marine Dumping:__ ** Rubbish such as 6-pack ring packaging can get caught in marine animals and suffocate them. Different materials take different amounts of time to degrade. **__Industrial Waste:__** Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away waste from the plant and into rivers, lakes and oceans. Pollutants from industries include: Asbestos, Lead, Mercury, Nitrates, Phosphates, Sulphur, Oils and Petrochemicals. All of these substances are carried into the ocean and are extremely harmful to people and the environment. - Mining and refining of uranium and thorium, which causes marine nuclear waste. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: #096bdc;">**__Underground Storage leaks:__** Underground storage systems often store substances such as petroleum, that can harmful to the surrounding environment if there was a leak. Many of these systems were constructed before 1980 and are made from steel pipes. Over time the steel corrodes and causes leakages and this affecs the surrounding soil and groundwater.
 * Cardboard –** 2 weeks to degrade.
 * Newspaper –** 6 weeks to degrade.
 * Photodegradable packaging –** 6 weeks to degrade.
 * Foam –** 50 years to degrade.
 * Styrofoam –** 80 years to degrade.
 * Aluminium –** 200 years to degrade.
 * Plastic packaging –** 400 years to degrade.
 * Glass –** Takes so long to degrade that the exact time is unknown.
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(9,107,220);">__Radioactive Waste:__ ** Industrial, medical and scientific processes that use radioactive material produce nuclear waste. Nuclear waste comes from:
 * -** Operations conducted by nuclear power stations
 * -** The Nuclear fuel cycle which is used in many industrial, medical and scientific processes.
 * <span style="color: rgb(9,107,220);">__Oil Spills:__ ** Oil cannot dissolve in water and therefore forms a thick sludge. This suffocates fish, gets caught in the feathers of marine birds, stopping them from flying and blocks light from photosynthetic aquatic plants. Oil spills are paticularly damaging to local marine wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters.
 * <span style="color: rgb(9,107,220);">__Global Warming:__ ** An increase in water temperature can result in the death of many aquatic organisms and disrupt many marine habitats. For example, when water temperature rises, coral reefs around the world are bleached. This is when the coral gets rid of the microorganisms that depend on it, damaging the coral reefs and the population of coral-dependant marine life.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: #000000; font-size: 110%;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: #000000;">**<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: rgb(9,107,220); font-size: 180%;">__Why is water pollution a problem?__ ** Almost all types of water pollution are harmful to humans, animals and the environment. The pollution may not damage our health straight away, but it can be dangerous after long term exposure. However, different pollutants affect humans and animals in different ways. Heavy metals from industrial processes are toxic to marine life and therefore the humans who eat them. The can slow development, result in birth defects and cause cancer for humans. Industrial waste can contain toxic compounds that can also be fatal and damaging to the health of aquatic animals and the humans who eat them, causing acute poisoning and reproduction failure in some cases. Microorganisms from sewage can hold infectious diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, that infect marine and land life. The spread of these diseases throught drinking water has been the primary cause of infant death. An increase in algae, from organic matter and nutrients, takes a large amount of oxygen from the water, which suffocates the fish and other marine organisms. Suspended particles such as oil, rubbish and even plants reduce the quality of drinking water for humans and also the quality of aquatic environments. They can also reduce the amount of sunlight passing through the water, which stops the growth of plants which need sunlight for photosynthesis and other microorganisms. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: #096bdc; font-size: 180%;">**__How ca__****__n we fix and prevent water pollution?__** <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Everyone can change some of the small habits of our everyday life, and by doing so, make our waterways cleaner. By starting these procedures now, we can reduce the level of water pollution and prevent it from occurring in the future. Oil Spills also affects water and animals. Litter clogs and pollutes waterways and so toxins are also transferred to marine life and fish, which we then eat.
 * 1.** Take notice of what you pour down the toilet or sink. Don't put items such as rubbish, oils or paints. These are harmful to our waterways and should be disposed of safely and properly.
 * 2.** Don't use fertilisers and pesticides when it isn't necessary. These toxins can become run-off and flow into our waterways.
 * 3.** Use items such as washing powder, soap-based household cleaning material, and toiletries that are environmentally friendly.
 * 4.** Turn off taps and fix buckets or collect water from leaking taps. This water can be used in the garden etc. Not only does this conserve water, it also lessens the amount of water that should be treated.
 * 5.** Don't leave rubbish on the ground or on th e streets. After rain, these items are washed into rivers, oceans, harbours and waterways.

media type="youtube" key="m5zVASa0u9g" height="344" width="425"media type="youtube" key="0RXhZ18apVQ" height="344" width="425" <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 132%;">**<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: #0937dc; font-size: 130%;">By Shauna Byrne and Eleanor Megna ** <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; color: #096bdc; font-size: 120%;">__** Bibliography: **__ [|www.water-pollution.org.uk/causes.html]