POLLUTION Pollution is the introduction of a contaminant into the environment.

It is created mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disasters. Pollution has a detrimental effect on any living organism in an environment, making it virtually impossible to sustain life. DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLLUTION y y y y y y Air Pollution Water Pollution Land Pollution Noise Pollution Radioactive Pollution Thermal Pollution

Water Pollution Water pollution is contamination of water by foreign matter that deteriorates the quality of the water. Water pollution covers pollutions in liquid forms like ocean pollution and river pollution. As the term applies, liquid pollution occurs in the oceans, lakes, streams, rivers, underground water and bays, in short liquid-containing areas. It involves the release of toxic substances, pathogenic germs, substances that require much oxygen to decompose, easy-soluble substances, radioactivity, etc. that become deposited upon the bottom and their accumulations will interfere with the condition of aquatic ecosystems The sources of water pollution are categorized as being a point source or a non-source point of pollution. Point sources of pollution occur when the polluting substance is emitted directly into the waterway. A pipe spewing toxic chemicals directly into a river is an example. A non-point source occurs when there is runoff of pollutants into a waterway, for instance when fertilizer from a field is carried into a stream by surface runoff.

Water Cycle and Pollution Water cycle is, simply saying, the circulation of water in earth. In fact, the water in the earth's biosphere is used and reused again and again. This is called water cycle or continuous movement of water between the earth and the atmosphere. It involves the following mechanisms: y y y y Evaporation: changing of water from liquid to gas Transpiration: Release of water vapor from plant leaves Condensation: changing of vapor to liquid (cooled down) Precipitation: Water that returns to the earth (water droplets in clouds become large enough and there comes the rain).

What's the relation of water cycle and pollution? According to the water cycle, naturally, water around us will be absorbed to the land (soil) and rivers will stream from the upstream to the downstream and released to the sea. In normal situation organic pollutants are biodegraded by microbes and converted to a form that brings benefits to the aquatic life. And for the inorganic pollutants, in the same situation, don't bring to much hazards because they are

widely dispersed and have almost no effect to the environment which they are released to. In a small scale, both inorganic and organic pollutants safely decompose throughout the stream, their concentration decrease in the sea, and they don't harm the sea ecosystem and its distribution. But in an excessive scale, communities in beach and estuary will be affected by the pollutants, and can heavily harm them.

Types of Water Pollution Toxic Substance -- A toxic substance is a chemical pollutant that is not a naturally occurring substance in aquatic ecosystems. The greatest contributors to toxic pollution are herbicides, pesticides and industrial compounds. Organic Substance -- Organic pollution occurs when an excess of organic matter, such as manure or sewage, enters the water. When organic matter increases in a pond, the number of decomposers will increase. These decomposers grow rapidly and use a great deal of oxygen during their growth. This leads to a depletion of oxygen as the decomposition process occurs. A lack of oxygen can kill aquatic organisms. As the aquatic organisms die, they are broken down by decomposers which leads to further depletion of the oxygen levels. A type of organic pollution can occur when inorganic pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphates accumulate in aquatic ecosystems. High levels of these nutrients cause an overgrowth of plants and algae. As the plants and algae die, they become organic material in the water. The enormous decay of this plant matter, in turn, lowers the oxygen level. The process of rapid plant growth followed by increased activity by decomposers and a depletion of the oxygen level is calledeutrophication. Thermal Pollution -- Thermal pollution can occur when water is used as a coolant near a power or industrial plant and then is returned to the aquatic environment at a higher temperature than it was originally. Thermal pollution can lead to a decrease in the dissolved oxygen level in the water while also increasing the biological demand of aquatic organisms for oxygen. Ecological Pollution -- Ecological pollution takes place when chemical pollution, organic pollution or thermal pollution are caused by nature rather than by human activity. An example of ecological pollution would be an increased rate of siltation of a waterway after a landslide which would increase the amount of sediments in runoff water. Another example would be when a large animal, such as a deer, drowns in a flood and a large amount of organic material is added to the water as a result. Major geological events such as a volcano eruption might also be sources of ecological pollution. Specific Sources of Water Pollution Farming: y Farms often use large amounts of herbicides and pesticides, both of which are toxic pollutants. These substances are particularly dangerous to life in rivers, streams and lakes, where toxic substances can build up over a period of time. Farms also frequently use large amounts of chemical fertilizers that are washed into the waterways and damage the water supply and the life within it. Fertilizers can increase the amounts of nitrates and phosphates in the water, which can lead to the process of eutrophication. Allowing livestock to graze near water sources often results in organic waste products being washed into the waterways. This sudden introduction of organic material increaces the amount of nitrogen in the water, and can also lead to eutrophication.

Four hundred million tons of soil are carried by the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico each year. A great deal of this siltation is due to runoff from the exposed soil of agricultural fields. Excessive amounts of sediment in waterways can block sunlight, preventing aquatic plants from photosynthesizing, and can suffocate fish by clogging their gills.

Business: y y Clearing of land can lead to erosion of soil into the river. Waste and sewage generated by industry can get into the water supply, introducing large organic pollutants into the ecosystem. Many industrial and power plants use rivers, streams and lakes to despose of waste heat. The resulting hot water can cause thermal pollution. Thermal pollution can have a disasterous effect on life in an aquatic ecosystem as temperature increaces decreace the amount of oxygen in the water, thereby reducing the number of animals that can survive there. Water can become contaminated with toxic or radioactive materials from industry, mine sites and abandoned hazardous waste sites. Acid precipitation is caused when the burning of fossil fuels emits sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The sulfur dioxide reacts with the water in the atmosphere, creating rainfall which contains sulfuric acid. As acid precipitation falls into lakes, streams and ponds it can lower the overall pH of the waterway, killing vital plant life, thereby affecting the whole food chain. It can also leach heavy metals from the soil into the water, killing fish and other aquatic organisms. Because of this, air pollution is potentially one of the most threatening forms of pollution to aquatic ecosystems.

Homes: y Sewage generated by houses or runoff from septic tanks into nearby waterways, introduce organic pollutants that can cause eutrophication. Fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides used for lawn care can runoff and contaminate the waterway. As with agriculteral fertilizers, home fertilizers can lead to the eutrophication of lakes and rivers. Improper disposal of hazardous chemicals down the drain itroduce toxic materials into to the ecosystem, contaminating the water supplies in a way that can harm aquatic organisms. Leaks of oil and antifreeze from a car on a driveway can be washed off by the rain into nearby waterways, polluting it.

y y y

Facts about Water Pollution Here are a few facts about water pollution: Over two-thirds of U.S. estuaries and bays are severely degraded because of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution Every year almost 25% of U.S. beaches are closed at least once because of water pollution Over 73 different kinds of pesticides have been found in the groundwater that we eventually use to drink

y y y

y y y y y y y y y

1.2 trillion gallons of sewage, stormwater and industrial waste are discharged into U.S. waters every year 40% of U.S. rivers are too polluted for aquatic life to survive Americans use over 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year, which eventually washes into our rivers and lakes How to Prevent Water Pollution The best way to prevent water pollution is to not throw trash and other harmful chemicals into our water supplies. Here are a few more ways you can prevent water pollution: Wash your car far away from any stormwater drains Dont throw trash, chemicals or solvents into sewer drains Inspect your septic system every 3-5 years Avoid using pesticides and fertilizers that can run off into water systems Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it down Always pump your waste-holding tanks on your boat Use non-toxic cleaning materials Clean up oil and other liquid spills with kitty litter and sweet them up Dont wash paint brushes in the sink y y y y y y y y y SOLUTIONS TO CONTROL WATER POLLUTION Solutions to Water Pollution #1 Enforce Existing Laws Our first solution to water pollution, therefore, is pretty simple tell your politicians to enforce existing laws. When a politician touts his new anti-pollution bill that he claims will clean up the environment, it means little if they continue to allow existing laws to go unenforced. Tell your politicians what you think. Encourage them to enforce existing laws such as the Clean Water Act. Beyond enforcing laws, there are some practical steps that we can take as individuals to limit the pollution in our neighborhoods and cities. Solutions to Water Pollution #2 Stop Nutrient and Pesticide Pollution If you are putting normal fertilizer, pesticides, and other chemicals on your lawn or in your gardens, you are contributing to the pollution problem. While you may find these products helpful, much of their volume is being washed off your lawn and into the nearest waterway. They also tend to degrade the quality of your soil, causing more and more reliance on the chemicals over time. Solutions to Water Pollution #3 Drive Less

Nitrogen deposition from air pollution is a big part of the nutrient pollution problem. How much we drive, how large a vehicle we have, and many other factors contribute to how much pollution we are putting out individually. Solutions to Water Pollution #5 Use Less Plastic and Dont Litter At the rate were going, the growing impact of plastic pollution on our oceans will be one of the big disaster stories of this century. Try to figure out ways you can use less plastic, especially plastic storage bags. This type of plastic is easy for wildlife to swallow and eventually causes death. Plastic factories also deliver much of the pollution that is not bio-degradable. Simply say no to bottled water! I know it is convenient to drink bottled water, but the environmental impact of bottled water plastic is huge! y

y y y y y y

y y y y

Be conscious of the emissions that your car spews out and keep your car well maintained. Think about leaning towards a hybrid or electric car if you drive a lot of miles every day. Use public transportation more often. Our government pays a lot of money to put these public systems in place. Driving less is something we can all do better at, and all of the relatively small differences each person makes will add up when summed across millions of drivers. Solutions to Water Pollution #4 Use Green Household and Personal Care Products As consumers and citizens we have an obligation to know what effect our consumer by-products are having on the planet. Many of the chemicals found in our food, household cleaners, personal care products, and medications are all being dumped back into the waterways. These chemicals are NOT adequately filtered through municipal water treatment facilities. Thus, if we are not drinking filtered water, we are consuming many of these chemicals (as well as other dangerous contaminants) on a daily basis. If you don't use a water filter system, YOUR BODY will be the filter. This cyclical process is becoming more and more degraded as time goes on and the fish and water toxicity are reaching unheard of levels. To stop this chemical spread, buy more organic food and green household cleaners and personal care products. And please dont flush your medications down the toilet!