There’s no getting around the fact that as the global population continues to rise, the pollution levels will only continue to increase, as scientists from NASA have already suggested. Subsequently, water pollution issues could only get worse.
Apparently, researchers have linked airborne pollutants to diminished water quality all the way back in 1992. Relevant data suggests that at least 50% of water contamination in certain areas comes from the air and the root causes of this issue are:
- Energy plants
- Industrial factories
- Exhaust fumes from motor vehicles
What this means is that the water that we all drink gets contaminated by various external factors related to the environment (especially in urban areas). That’s why we’ve dedicated this entire post to the problems of water pollution so that you can understand the depth of this matter.
What Is The Problem Of Water Pollution?
In essence, the key issues associated with the deteriorating quality of water can be put under three main categories:
1. Contaminated water affects our health
The World Health Organization states that approximately 361.000 kids aged under 5 die every year because of a disease directly connected to poor water quality. That’s not the only potential killer that can result from polluted water though, there other serious diseases including:
- Tuberculosis
- Hepatitis
- Cholera
And if you think that tap water is sufficiently purified, you’re wrong. Apart from being loaded with chlorine that’s meant to destroy bacteria, there’s a plethora of toxins that still make their way to your home, such as:
- Flouride
- Arsenic
- Mercury
- Dioxins
- Nitrates
- Pesticides
Besides, due to unclean water, the seafood that we consume could very well be contaminated as well, meaning that we’re receiving additional harmful substances through food.
2. Polluted water affects the wildlife
Every single animal that resides in lakes, oceans or just water in general, are directly affected by the degrading quality of water throughout the world. The dirt in water sources not only kills lots of aquatic animals, but the so-called water-birds are in danger too, including:
- Seagulls
- Auks
- Puffins
- Pelicans
- Ducks
- Penguins
And when you add oil spills and tons of plastics that find their way into the oceans, lakes etc., it becomes crystal clear that sea creatures are greatly endangered.
3. Water pollution has a negative impact on the whole environment
The contamination in waters around the world means that entire ecosystems are altered or even vanished, due to the horrible effects that pollution has on all living organisms.
Since every living creature requires water in order to survive, the polluted water negatively influences not only humans and animals but also the plant life. Or in other words, dirty and contaminated water affects the environment as a whole.
How Can We Reduce Water Pollution On A Global Scale?
We’re all responsible for the current state of the water sources throughout the world and in order to preserve the flora and fauna, as well as our own well-being, there are certain steps that everyone can take to decrease water contamination:
- Do your best not to throw any trash near it, especially in the water
- Refrain from throwing medications in the toilet or your kitchen sink
- Reduce the amount of plastic that you use
- Make sure your car is mechanically sound, especially its exhaust system
- Try to use bio and eco-friendly cleaning products
- Aim to reuse non-recyclable items, like plastic
- Do your best to avoid the use of fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides if you have a garden
- Stop pouring cooking oil or anything greasy in the toiler or any of the sinks in your home
This is just a relatively small list of all the possible actions that each of us can take so that we might have a cleaner, purer and fresher water. While it’s undoubtedly essential to have more people educated on the subject of preventing water contamination, the implementation of certain additional laws and regulations can certainly help.
Wrapping It Up
The problems related to water pollution are still quite relevant and if anything, they’re increasing and becoming more evident. Environmental pollution is a massive issue that alters everything around us, including the water that we use for drinking, washing, cleaning etc.
We’d love to know what you think about the global water pollution issues and if you have a resolution that you’d like to share. You can do so in the comment section below!