Water Pollution | Source and Causes of Water Pollution

Water pollution is basically any physical, chemical or biological change in water quality which disturbs the living organisms quite badly. Water pollution makes a water resource incongruous for many of its beneficial uses. From beneficial uses of water resources we mean irrigation, public water supply, industrial production and recreation etc. This pollution could be a result of weathering conditions and soil erosion but mainly it is related to human activities, directly or indirectly. 

Sources of water pollution:

Domestic waste: 

One of the biggest sources of water pollution is the domestic waste and sewage. Pathogens present in raw sewage contaminate water and make it oily and brownish with a foul odor. Organic waste from domestic sewage gives rise to sludge that makes water unsuitable for using in recreation and industrial use. Detergents present in domestic sewage accumulate in water as they degrade very slowly. Phosphates present in detergents improve growth of algal blooms in water making it unfit for human and animal use. 

Fertilizers: 

Fertilizers and other pollutants present on surface of land absorb in soil due to rains and reach the water reservoirs and water courses. This addition of fertilizers and pollutants into water contaminates water by giving rise to eutrophication (upgrading of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients).

Industrial waste: 

Toxic chemicals present in industrial waste are Cadmium, lead, mercury. Moreover, many liquid effluents like acids, bases and poisonous compounds are also present in industrial waste. All these solid and liquid toxic substances pass into water bodies making it contaminated.

Water pollution effects:

Deadly diseases: 

Effects of water pollution could be catastrophic depending upon the nature of chemicals and pollutants present in it. Many water bodies near urban areas are contaminated due to domestic and industrial garbage dumped into it. Water is becoming contaminated and causing many health issues like Hepatitis A, Malaria, Cholera, dysentery, diarrhea and many other deadly diseases.

Effects on aquatic habitat:

Many human activities like industrial processes are causing increase in environmental temperature means thermal pollution. These processes may not contaminate the water directly but increase the water temperature which affects the aquatic habitat.

Ocean pollution:

Garbage, oil, petroleum and other toxic chemicals from ship generated discharges are becoming a source of ocean pollution. Ocean pollution is adversely affecting the sea life. Moreover, detergents used to clean water are also dangerous for sea animals.

How to control?

“Solution to pollution is dilution.”

Water pollution can be controlled by taking this principle into consideration. Moreover, there are various methods through which we can control water pollution. By using very specific and less stable chemicals in manufacturing process of insecticides could be useful in controlling water pollution caused by insecticides. There are many chemical treatments that could convert the sewage chemicals to into harmless substances. Thermal pollution of water could be avoided through cooling processes. There should be strict laws to treat the domestic and industrial waste before discharging into rivers or seas.