Project on understanding water pollution Jananisri.S 9-B

1. PROJECT ON
UNDERSTANDING
WATER POLLUTION
BY
Jananisri.S
9-B

2. WHAT IS WATER
POLLUTION ?
Water pollution happens when toxic
substances enter water bodies such as
lakes, rivers, oceans and so on, getting
dissolved in them, lying suspended in
the water or depositing on the bed.
This degrades the quality of water.
Not only does this spell disaster for
aquatic ecosystems, the pollutants also
seep through and reach the
groundwater, which might end up in
our households as contaminated water
we use in our daily activities, including
drinking.

4. Water is uniquely
vulnerable to
pollution. Known
as a “universal
solvent,” water is
able to dissolve
more substances
than any other
liquid on earth.
What Are the Causes of Water Pollution?

5. It’s the reason we have Kool-Aid and brilliant blue waterfalls. It’s
also why water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances from
farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve into and mix with
it, causing water pollution.​

6. Categories of Water
Pollution
• Groundwater
• Surface water
• Ocean water

7. Groundwater
Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants—from
pesticides and fertilizers to waste leached from landfills
and septic systems—make their way into an aquifer,
rendering it unsafe for human use. Groundwater can also
spread contamination far from the original polluting source
as it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.

8. According to the most recent surveys on
national water quality from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, nearly
half of our rivers and streams and more
than one-third of our lakes are polluted
and unfit for swimming, fishing, and
drinking. Nutrient pollution, which includes
nitrates and phosphates, is the leading
type of contamination in these freshwater
sources. While plants and animals need
these nutrients to grow, they have become
a major pollutant due to farm waste and
fertilizer runoff. Municipal and industrial
waste discharges contribute their fair
share of toxins as well. There’s also all
the random junk that industry and
individuals dump directly into waterways
Surface water

9. Ocean water
Eighty percent of ocean pollution (also
called marine pollution) originates on
land—whether along the coast or far
inland. Contaminants such as chemicals,
nutrients, and heavy metals are carried
from farms, factories, and cities by
streams and rivers into our bays and
estuaries; from there they travel out to
sea. Meanwhile, marine debris—
particularly plastic—is blown in by the
wind or washed in via storm drains and
sewers. Our seas are also sometimes
spoiled by oil spills and leaks—
big and small—and are consistently
soaking up carbon pollution from the air.
The ocean absorbs as much as a quarter
of man-made carbon emissions.

10. It is sometimes caused by nature, such as when mercury filters
from the Earth's crust, polluting oceans, rivers, lakes, canals
and reservoirs. However, the most common cause of poor
quality water is human activity and its consequences,
MAIN CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION

11. Rising global
temperatures
caused by
CO2 emissions
heat the
water, reducing
its oxygen
content.

12. Felling forests can exhaust
water resources and
generate organic residue
which becomes a breeding
ground for harmful
bacteria.

13. The UN says that more than 80% of the world's sewage finds
its way into seas and rivers untreated.

14. EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION
Deteriorating water quality is damaging the environment, health conditions and the global
economy. The president of the World Bank, David Malpass, warns of the economic impact:
"Deteriorating water quality is stalling economic growth and exacerbating poverty in many
countries". The explanation is that, when biological oxygen demand — the indicator that
measures the organic pollution found in water — exceeds a certain threshold, the growth in
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the regions within the associated water basins falls by a
third. In addition, here are some of the other consequences:
Destruction of biodiversity. Water pollution depletes aquatic ecosystems and triggers
unbridled proliferation of phytoplankton in lakes — eutrophication —.
Contamination of the food chain. Fishing in polluted waters and the use of waste water for
livestock farming and agriculture can introduce toxins into foods which are harmful to our
health when eaten.
Lack of potable water. The UN says that billions of people around the world have no access
to clean water to drink or sanitation, particularly in rural areas.
Disease. The WHO estimates that about 2 billion people have no option but to drink water
contaminated by excrement, exposing them to diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A and
dysentery.
Infant mortality. According to the UN, diarrhoeal diseases linked to lack of hygiene cause
the death of about 1,000 children a day worldwide.

15. What Can You Do to
Prevent Water
Pollution?
It’s easy to tsk-tsk the oil company with a leaking tanker, but
we’re all accountable to some degree for today’s water
pollution problem. Fortunately, there are some simple ways you
can prevent water contamination or at least limit your
contribution to it:
• Reduce your plastic consumption and reuse or recycle plastic
when you can.
• Properly dispose of chemical cleaners, oils, and non-
biodegradable items to keep them from ending up down the
drain.
• Maintain your car so it doesn’t leak oil, antifreeze, or
coolant.
• If you have a yard, consider landscaping that reduces
runoff and avoid applying pesticides and herbicides.
• If you have a pup, be sure to pick up its poop.