Human activities pollute water sources in several ways. Mining extracts metals from the soil, contaminating rivers and threatening human and animal health. Oil exploitation in the Amazon region has left river waste that is difficult to fully clean up. Sewage systems often dump untreated waste into rivers, spreading disease among both animals and people. If cattle drink contaminated water or crops absorb contaminated water, they can then pass pollution on to those who consume them. Proper treatment and regulation are needed to curb water contamination from mining, oil drilling, and sewage runoff.

1. Human Impact
on Water
Jaime D. Peña

2. What happens when water is
polluted?
 Human being activities add harmful
products to water. Some rivers are
contaminated by sewage system waste,
industrial waste, some detergents,
compost and pesticides.

3. What happens when water is
polluted?
 Wateris used to water pasture and if the
water that drains is contaminated,
animals that eat the grass will also
contaminate. If these animals are used to
feed people, what do you think will
happen?

4. Some sources of serious
contamination of water:
Mining activity
Oil exploitation
Sewage system waste

5. Mining activity
 Mining means extracting metals and other
minerals from the soil.
 These activity contaminates rivers and it is
dangerous for the people´s and animals´ health.
 This contaminated water from the rivers may get
to crop areas, contaminating its products.

6. Oil Exploitation
 Exploring
and extracting oil in the Amazon region
has had a tremendous impact on Amazon rivers.
People have tried to clean oil spills, but there are still
wastes of petroleum. Laws to protect the
environment have been created, but the situation
hasn´t been controlled, yet.

7. Sewage System Waste
 Cities wastes without treatment are carried to the
river producing contamination that is not being
considered. This causes many diseases in animals
and human beings. Chipipe in Salinas is a good
example of this situation.

8. Practice.-
A) Answer the following Questions:
1. What would happen to cattle if they are
drinking contaminated water?
2. What would happen to crops if they
absorb contaminated water?
3. What is mining and why does the activity
affect water?