Cause and effects of water pollutio1

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Cause and Effects of Water Pollution

Water pollution arises when chemicals and other microorganism contaminate the quality

of water, thereby rendering it unsafe for human consumption and toxic to aquatic inhabitants. It

is unbelievable that the majority of the rivers, water reservoirs, seas, and oceans are filled with

chemicals and other severe pollutants from the industries. People are reckless in conserving the

water despite knowing that life is impossible without it. Unfortunately, direct addition of

pollutants into the water bodies is significantly jeopardizing human health. In fact, it is believed

that unsafe water for human consumption causes more death to people when compared to war or

violence. With sources of safe water for human consumption, being finite (about 1 percent) there

is a need to conserve our water sources to avoid unprecedented challenges to human life by

2050.

While the majority of Americans believes to have access to drinking water, it has been

shown that some of their water sources contain harmful contaminants. For instance, water

contamination in Utah has been estimated to be a $1 billion water pollution issue (O’Donoghue

1). Lead as a conventional pollutant in the water bodies causes serious health complication on the

human. Water pollution occurs in different categories. For instance, groundwater is commonly

polluted when contaminants that include pesticides, fertilizers, and materials from the septic

system reach the aquifers causing pollution. About 40% of the Americans access groundwater

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that is pumped to the earth surface for domestic use (Miller and Spoolman 179). When pollution

of groundwater occurs, the reservoirs can be unsafe for decades. This contaminated groundwater

eventually seeps into the oceans, causing further pollution. On the other hand, nitrates and

phosphates pollute surface water that covers about 70% of the earth’s surface (Krantzberg 73).

These nutrients have become significant pollutant due to excessive farm waste and water runoff

from these lands. Additionally, industrial waste also contributes immensely to the contamination

of water bodies.

Considering all these chemicals that pollute water bodies, it can be concluded that a

significant cause of water pollution is agricultural activity. Agriculture is viewed as a sector that

consumes the most significant share of freshwater globally. There is a high need for livestock

and farming water, but eventually, agricultural activities degrade the water. Modern farming has

seen an increase in the use of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides (Ciment 1320). When it

rains, these chemicals in addition to animal waste, nutrients and pathogens are washed into the

water bodies. Indeed, nitrogen and phosphorous from the fertilizers are considered a threat to

water quality around the world. Nutrients cause algal blooms that in turn, release toxic soup that

is harmful to human being and wildlife.

The effects of water pollution are horrendous. Precisely, water pollution kills a human

being. It is also an imminent danger to human health. According to a study published in 2015 in

the Lancet, water pollution caused an estimated 1.8 million deaths (Winkler 78). Additionally,

about 1 billion people get ill each year from drinking unsafe water (Thielbrger 2). Sadly, the

poor in the world are at the most considerable risk of water pollution as they live close to

industries and agricultural farms.

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Surname 1 Student’s Name Professor’s Name Subject DD MM YYYY Cause and Effects of Water Pollution Water pollution arises when chemicals and other microorganism contaminate the quality of water, thereby rendering it unsafe for human consumption and toxic to aquatic inhabitants. It is unbelievable that the majority of the rivers, water reservoirs, seas, and oceans are filled with chemicals and other severe pollutants from the industries. People are reckless in conserving the water despite knowing that life is impossible without it. Unfortunately, direct addition of pollutants into the water bodies is significantly jeopardizing human health. In fact, it is believed that unsafe water for human consumption causes more death to people when compared to war or violence. With sources of safe water for human consumption, being finite (about 1 percent) there is a need to conserve our water sources to avoid unprecedented challenges to human life by 2050. While the majority of Americans believes to have access to drinking water, it has been shown that some of their water sources contain harmful contaminants. For instance, water contamination in Utah has been estimated to be a $1 billion water pollution issue (O’Donoghue 1). Lead as a conventional pollutant in the water bodies causes serious health complication on the human. Water pollution occurs in different categories. For instance, groundwater is commonly polluted when contaminants that include pesticides, fertilizers, and materi ...
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