Water is an essential substance for the survival of living things. Water sustains every living organism and helps in its survival. Clean and purified water is free from microorganisms that are harmful to human health.
Water pollution is the release of harmful substances into the water surface or water bodies- this is a result of negative human activities.
Of course, human activities that cause water pollution, are; discharges from sewage, and industrial and agricultural activities among others.
Water pollution is not only harmful to human beings, it also poses a great danger to aquatic world of animals and leads to the degradation of the aquatic ecosystem. It causes water-borne diseases and reduces the body of the ecosystem in providing drinking water for human consumption.
Water pollution arises as a result of the accumulative effect of toxic substances over time and it can either be organic or inorganic substances. The Organic substances include petroleum hydrocarbons such as fuels, gasoline, and diesel while the inorganic substances include; heavy metals, sediments from sites or sewage, ammonia from food processing waste, and others
Water can only be safe for human consumption if it is free from pollution, releasing harmful substances into the water system can in turn be harmful to humans, animals, and plants.
Plants and animals depend on water for survival and this makes them susceptible to water pollution, just as human beings need water to survive so do plants and animals need water to aid their survival.
Effects:
It exposes humans to waterborne diseases and ultimately, death. Contaminating the source of drinking water exposes us to several water-borne diseases, which poses danger to our health. Examples of water-borne diseases include cholera, typhoid fever, and others.
Water pollution destroys the entire ecosystem. The ecosystem is dynamic, sensitive, and responds quickly to change. Once the ecosystem is polluted, it can cause a complete collapse of the ecosystem.
It endangers the life of aquatic habitats and affects the food chain. It destroys the aquatic environment, which exposes the lives of aquatic habitats to danger and the ecosystem. The disruption of the food chain happens when aquatic animals consume toxins and pollutants in the water and later pass it on to humans.
Likely Solutions To And Prevention Of Water Pollution
Experiencing water pollution can be avoided through water purification. It is the process taken to ensure that the water we drink is free from harmful substances. To prevent the destruction of water bodies, we need to take actions that can help prevent global warming which practically affects the availability of clean water in our environment.
In addition, solid waste should be properly disposed of. Better treatment of sewage and waste products before disposal helps in the reduction of water pollution while wastewater can be reused by industrial organizations and agricultural industries to reduce its toxic contents.
Furthermore, we can learn to recycle items that are recyclable instead of disposing them off which may later end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Finally, we need to also learn how to dispose off chemical substances like bleach, ammonia, and others because dumping these substances into the water system causes water pollution.
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