Causes of Water Pollution

Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a “universal solvent,” water is able

to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth. 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

Unsurprisingly, human activity is primarily responsible for water pollution, even if

natural phenomenon - such as
landslides and floods - can also
contribute to degrade the
water quality.

 Sewage and wastewater

 Urbanization and
deforestation
 Agriculture
 Industries
 Marine dumping
 Radioactive waste
 Oil Leaks and Spills
 Global Warming
Sewage and wastewater:
Used water is wastewater. It comes from our sinks,
showers, and toilets (think sewage) and from
commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities
(think metals, solvents, and toxic sludge). The term
also includes stormwater runoff, which occurs
when rainfall carries road salts, oil, grease,
chemicals, and debris from impermeable surfaces
into our waterways

More than 80 percent of the world’s

wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or reused, according
to the United Nations; in some least-developed countries, the figure tops 95 percent. In
the United States, wastewater treatment facilities process about 34 billion gallons of
wastewater per day. These facilities reduce the amount of pollutants such as pathogens,
phosphorus, and nitrogen in sewage, as well as heavy metals and toxic chemicals in
industrial waste, before discharging the treated waters back into waterways. That’s
when all goes well. But according to EPA estimates, our nation’s aging and easily
overwhelmed sewage treatment systems also release more than 850 billion gallons of
untreated wastewater each year.

Urbanization and deforestation:

Rapid urbanization leads to increased
construction activities, which produce
pollutants such as cement, chemicals, and
sewage that often find their way into water
bodies. Household waste, detergents, and
chemicals are also dumped into water sources
without proper treatment, leading to pollution. The removal of
trees leads to soil erosion, which increases sediment levels in water bodies, reducing
water quality. Deforestation also decreases the natural filtration of water, leading to
higher contamination levels in rivers and lakes.

Agricultural:
Not only is the agricultural sector the biggest consumer of
global freshwater resources, with farming and livestock
production using about 70 percent of the earth’s surface
water supplies, but it’s also a serious water polluter. Around
the world, agriculture is the leading cause of water
degradation. In the United States, agricultural pollution is the
top source of contamination in rivers and streams, the
second-biggest source in wetlands, and the third main source
in lakes. It’s also a major contributor of contamination to
estuaries and groundwater. Every time it rains, fertilizers,
pesticides, and animal waste from farms and livestock
operations wash nutrients and pathogens—such bacteria and
viruses—into our waterways. Nutrient pollution, caused by
excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water or air, is the number-one threat to water
quality worldwide and can cause algal blooms, a toxic soup of blue-green algae that can
be harmful to people and wildlife.

Industries:
Industries and industrial sites across the world are a
major contributor to water pollution. Many industrial
sites produce waste in the form of toxic chemicals and
pollutants, and though regulated, some still do not
have proper waste management systems in place. In
those rare cases, industrial waste is dumped into
nearby freshwater systems. When industrial waste is
not treated properly (or worse, not treated at all), it
can very easily pollute the freshwater systems that it comes into contact with.

Industrial waste from agricultural sites, mines and manufacturing plants can make its
way into rivers, streams and other bodies of water that lead directly to the sea. The toxic
chemicals in the waste produced by these industries not only have the potential to make
water unsafe for human consumption, they can also cause the temperature in
freshwater systems to change, making them dangerous for many water dwelling
organisms.

Marine Dumping:
Marine dumping causes water pollution by
introducing toxic substances into oceans and seas.
Industries and ships dispose of hazardous
chemicals, heavy metals like mercury and lead,
and even radioactive waste, which poison marine
life and accumulate in the food chain, ultimately
affecting humans. Plastic waste is another major
problem, as it leads to massive garbage patches in
the ocean. Over time, plastics break down into
microplastics, which marine animals ingest,
causing internal damage and death. Oil dumping and accidental spills create slicks on the
water’s surface, reducing oxygen levels and suffocating marine organisms while
destroying vital ecosystems like coral reefs and mangroves. Dumping sewage and
agricultural waste introduces excess nutrients, leading to algal blooms that deplete
oxygen in the water, creating dead zones where marine life cannot survive. This pollution
disrupts the balance of marine ecosystems by altering water pH and temperature, which
affects breeding and migration patterns, leading to biodiversity loss. Toxic substances
from marine dumping also enter the human food chain through seafood consumption,
posing serious health risks such as neurological disorders, cancer, and organ damage.
Preventing marine dumping through stricter regulations, better waste management, and
increased public awareness is essential to protect marine life and human health.

Radioactive waste:
Radioactive waste is any pollution that emits
radiation beyond what is naturally released by the
environment. It’s generated by uranium mining,
nuclear power plants, and the production and
testing of military weapons, as well as by
universities and hospitals that use radioactive
materials for research and medicine. Radioactive
waste can persist in the environment for
thousands of years, making disposal a major
challenge. Consider the decommissioned Hanford
nuclear weapons production site in Washington, where the cleanup of 56 million gallons
of radioactive waste is expected to cost more than $100 billion and last through 2060.
Accidentally released or improperly disposed of contaminants threaten groundwater,
surface water, and marine resources.

Oil pollution:
Oil spills and leakages are major causes of water
pollution, severely affecting marine and
freshwater ecosystems. When oil spills into the
water, it spreads quickly over the surface, creating a
thick layer that blocks sunlight and reduces oxygen
levels. This disrupts the natural balance of aquatic
life, making it difficult for marine plants to
photosynthesize and for fish and other organisms
to breathe. Additionally, oil contains toxic
chemicals that can poison marine animals, leading to illness or death. Birds and
mammals that come into contact with the oil may suffer from damaged feathers or fur,
which affects their ability to regulate body temperature and survive. The contamination
also affects human activities such as fishing and tourism, leading to economic losses.
Cleaning up oil spills is challenging and expensive, often requiring advanced techniques
like chemical dispersants, skimmers, and bioremediation. Preventing oil spills through
strict regulations, improved safety measures, and responsible handling of oil is essential
to protecting water bodies and marine life.

Big spills may dominate headlines, but consumers account for the vast majority of oil
pollution in our seas, including oil and gasoline that drips from millions of cars and trucks
every day. Moreover, nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil that makes its way
into marine environments each year comes not from tanker spills but from land-based
sources such as factories, farms, and cities. At sea, tanker spills account for about 10
percent of the oil in waters around the world, while regular operations of the shipping
industry—through both legal and illegal discharges—contribute about one-third. Oil is
also naturally released from under the ocean floor through fractures known as seeps.

Global Warming:
An increase in water temperature can result in the death of many aquatic organisms and
disrupt many marine habitats. For example, a rise in water temperatures causes coral
bleaching of reefs around the world. This is when the coral expels the microorganisms of
which it is dependent on. This can result in great damage to coral reefs and
subsequently, all the marine life that depends
on it. The rise in the Earth’s water temperature
is caused by global warming. Global warming
is a process where the average global
temperature increases due to the greenhouse
effect. The burning of fossil fuel releases
greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide,
into the atmosphere. This causes heat from
the sun to get ‘trapped’ in the Earths
atmosphere and consequently the global
temperature rises.There are many everyday ways you can help reduce global warming,
which will in turn help lower water pollution. These methods include recycling,
carpooling and using CFL bulbs in your home.

Effects of Water Pollution

On human health

To put it bluntly: Water pollution kills. In fact, it caused 1.8 million deaths in 2015,
according to a study published in The Lancet. Contaminated water can also make you ill.
Every year, unsafe water sickens about 1 billion people. And low-income communities
are disproportionately at risk because their homes are often closest to the most
polluting industries.

Waterborne pathogens, in the form of disease-causing bacteria and viruses from human
and animal waste, are a major cause of illness from contaminated drinking water.
Diseases spread by unsafe water include cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Even in wealthy
nations, accidental or illegal releases from sewage treatment facilities, as well as runoff
from farms and urban areas, contribute harmful pathogens to waterways. Thousands of
people across the United States are sickened every year by Legionnaires’ disease (a
severe form of pneumonia contracted from water sources like cooling towers and piped
water), with cases cropping up from California’s Disneyland to Manhattan’s Upper East
Side.
A woman using bottled water to wash her three-week-old son at their home in Flint,
Michigan

Meanwhile, the plight of residents in Flint, Michigan—where cost-cutting measures

and aging water infrastructure created a lead contamination crisis—offers a stark look at
how dangerous chemical and other industrial pollutants in our water can be. The
problem goes far beyond Flint and involves much more than lead, as a wide range of
chemical pollutants—from heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury to pesticides
and nitrate fertilizers—are getting into our water supplies. Once they’re ingested, these
toxins can cause a host of health issues, from cancer to hormone disruption to altered
brain function. Children and pregnant women are particularly at risk.

Even swimming can pose a risk. Every year, 3.5 million Americans contract health issues
such as skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, and hepatitis from sewage-laden
coastal waters, according to EPA estimates.

Minamata Incident
The Minamata Incident marked one of the worst cases of water pollution

In 1932, a factory in Minamata City, Japan began dumping its industrial effluent –
Methylmercury, into the surrounding bay and the sea. Methylmercury is incredibly toxic
to humans and animals alike, causing a wide range of neurological disorders.

Its ill effects were not immediately noticeable. However, this all changed as
methylmercury started to bioaccumulate inside shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay.
These affected organisms were then caught and consumed by the local population.
Soon, the ill effects of methylmercury were becoming apparent.

Initially, animals such as cats and dogs were affected by this. The city’s cats would often
convulse and make strange noises before dying – hence, the term “dancing cat disease”
was coined. Soon, the same symptoms were observed in people, though the cause was
not apparent at the time.

Other affected people showed symptoms of acute mercury poisoning such as ataxia,
muscle weakness, loss of motor coordination, damage to speech and hearing etc. In
severe cases, paralysis occurred, which was followed by coma and death. These
diseases and deaths continued for almost 36 years before they could be officially
acknowledged by the government and the organization.

Since then, various control measures for water pollution have been adopted by the
government of Japan to curb such environmental disasters in the future.
Pollution of the Ganges

Some rivers, lakes, and groundwater are rendered unfit for usage. In India, the River
Ganges is the sixth most polluted river in the world. This is unsurprising as hundreds of
industries nearby release their effluents into the river. Furthermore, religious activities
such as burials and cremations near the shore contribute to pollution. Apart from the
ecological implications, this river poses a serious health risks as it can cause diseases like
typhoid and cholera.

Pollution of the Ganges is also driving some of the distinct fauna to extinction. The
Ganges River shark is a critically endangered species that belong to the
order Carcharhiniformes. The Ganges River dolphin is another endangered species of
dolphin that is found in the tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.

As per a survey, by the end of 2026, around 4 billion people will face a shortage of
water. Presently, around 1.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean,
potable water and proper sanitation. It is also projected that nearly 1000 children die
every year in India due to water-related issues. Groundwater is an important source of
water, but unfortunately, even that is susceptible to pollution. Hence, water pollution is
quite an important social issue that needs to be addressed promptly.

On the environment

In order to thrive, healthy ecosystems rely on a complex web of animals, plants,

bacteria, and fungi—all of which interact, directly or indirectly, with each other. Harm to
any of these organisms can create a chain effect, imperiling entire aquatic environments.

When water pollution causes an algal bloom in a lake or marine environment, the
proliferation of newly introduced nutrients stimulates plant and algae growth, which in
turn reduces oxygen levels in the water. This dearth of oxygen, known as eutrophication,
suffocates plants and animals and can create “dead zones,” where waters are essentially
devoid of life. In certain cases, these harmful algal blooms can also produce neurotoxins
that affect wildlife, from whales to sea turtles.

Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater contaminate
waterways as well. These contaminants are toxic to aquatic life—most often reducing an
organism’s life span and ability to reproduce—and make their way up the food chain as
predator eats prey. That’s how tuna and other big fish accumulate high quantities of
toxins, such as mercury.
Marine ecosystems are also threatened by marine debris, which can strangle, suffocate,
and starve animals. Much of this solid debris, such as plastic bags and soda cans, gets
swept into sewers and storm drains and eventually out to sea, turning our oceans into
trash soup and sometimes consolidating to form floating garbage patches. Discarded
fishing gear and other types of debris are responsible for harming more than 200
different species of marine life.

Meanwhile, ocean acidification is making it tougher for shellfish and coral to survive.
Though they absorb about a quarter of the carbon pollution created each year by
burning fossil fuels, oceans are becoming more acidic. This process makes it harder for
shellfish and other species to build shells and may impact the nervous systems of sharks,
clownfish, and other marine life.
plural noun: estuaries
1. the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream