What Is Water Pollution?
Water pollution is defined as the presence in groundwater of toxic chemicals and biological agents that exceed what is naturally found in the water and may pose a threat to human health and/or the environment. Additionally, water pollution may consist of chemicals introduced into the water bodies as a result of various human activities. Any amount of those chemicals pollutes the water, regardless of the harm they may pose to human health and the environment.
[source](https://intpolicydigest.org/2016/09/25/finding-new-way-tackle-water-pollution/)
Causes
Many of the chlorinated solvents commonly used in industry (such as PCE, TCE, 1,1,1-TCA) are examples of such chemicals polluting our waters exclusively due to human activities. Another example is MTBE (Methyl-tert-butyl-ether), a gasoline oxygenate that is currently banned in the U.S. Regardless of their provenance, the chemicals or biological agents causing water pollution are generically referred to as water pollutants.The chemical and biological agents represent the main causes of water pollution and are generically referred to as water pollutants.
Any kind of water can become polluted, regardless of its size or location. This includes lakes from remote areas or huge water bodies and is due to the air transportation of pollutant particles and their transfer into precipitation water. The groundwater and surface water consist of swimming pools, ponds, lakes, creeks, rivers, seas, and oceans that may all become polluted at some point. Due to the quick diffusion and dissipation of contamination and the faster natural degradation processes, the bigger the water body is, the shorter the time required for naturally cleansing the pollution and recovery.
Types of Water Pollution
There are various types of water pollution based on the various causes of water pollution. Various classifications can be made, based on various water pollution causes:
1. The type of the water pollutants – based on this classification criteria, water pollution can be:
2) Chemical – when various chemicals are the water pollution causes.
Sources of Water Pollution
The main sources of pollution are all resulted from the disposal of chemical substances coming from medical, industrial and household waste, chaotic agricultural fertilizers disposal and accidental oil spills that pollute the water to a large extent.
Examples of major water pollutants that affect the health of humans are:
the numerous infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, and parasites) that contaminate the water through sewage, human waste, and animal excreta
radioactive waste that contains highly toxic materials such as uranium, thorium, and radon. This waste is a major water pollutant resulted from mining activities, power plants or natural sources
the chemical substances that contaminate the water. These chemicals can be either organic - pesticides, plastic, oil, detergents, etc. - coming from domestic, industrial or agricultural waste, or inorganic - acids, metals, salts - domestic and industrial effluents.
How Does Water Pollution Affect Us?
Water pollution may cause a large variety of diseases and poses a serious problem for human health. This is mainly because we may get exposed to polluted water in various ways, including, but not necessarily limited to:
1.Drinking polluted water
2.Bathing or showering in polluted water
3.Swimming in polluted water
4.Breathing the vapors of a polluted water while sitting next to a polluted water source
5.Consuming polluted food (meat and/or vegetables) affected by polluted water
Consuming meat from animals fed with polluted water of food affected by polluted water (e.g. vegetables irrigated with polluted water or grown in an area with polluted groundwater)