Other than classifications and sources of water pollution, there are also categories divide the vast multitude of pollutants into easily recognizable groups. These groups are Biological, Chemical, Physical, and Thermal pollution.


Biological Pollution

Biological pollution is anything that could be considered organic that is detrimental to our water supply. These can be bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and worms that can be carried by water from one host to another, which can cause terrible waterborne diseases such as cholera, bacterial infections, and harmful parasites that can cause symptoms such as fever and diarrhea. Another form is foreign invasive species, and even algae, if it is in large enough numbers. These can come from a multitude of sources, but mostly from agricultural runoff, a nonpoint source, containing fertilizers and decomposing organic matter that can come from barnyards. Untreated human sewage that comes from our homes can also cause a rise in harmful bacteria and viruses, which can count as a point source. Invasive species can also count as biological pollution. These species have been introduced to many places all throughout the world, mostly because of people. However, there is no way to classify this as either a point or nonpoint source. Some are small and innocuous. An example of this is the Mediterranean gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus). This small gecko, native to the Mediterranean region, has no detrimental effects to Florida, its natural environment. However, invasive species are often very detrimental to the environment. Cane toads (Bufo marinus) are currently devastating Australian environments. They were introduced into Australia in order to rid agricultural land of a destructive beetle. However, instead of eating the beetles, they bred prolifically and destroyed many populations of animals, many of which are now endangered. The toads are poisonous and only have one species of snake that eats it in Australia. This is a classic example of an invasive species being detrimental towards the environment. A way to limit the amount of biological pollution, most specifically algal blooms and bacteria, is to prevent runoff from fields and lawns in order to limit the flow of fertilizers and animal waste into rivers, and subsequently, into oceans and lakes.

Chemical Pollution

Chemical pollution is anything inorganic that might be introduced to rivers, lakes, or streams. Interestingly enough, many of the chemical pollutants, most notably dissolved metals, occur naturally in the water already in small concentrations. It is only when concentrations become elevated do they become harmful. Most chemical pollutants come from industrial work that may be carried in rain runoff, making it a non-point source. Some more examples of chemical pollutants include chemical solvents, pesticides, and oil. Metals and solvents can work their way into an organism’s body and cause the organism to become stunted or infertile. An endangered population composed of only infertile animals would be devastating. Pesticides can cause eutrophication, when algal blooms destroy habitats and deplete the water of nutrients and oxygen. The poison flows through the levels of predator-to-prey, like from poisoned fish to poisoned hawk. Oil spills, one of the most devastating forms of chemical pollution, can cause mass fish death and stick to the feathers of birds, rendering them unable to fly. Chemical pollution can also come from a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6TDjLA1v047jSjYZWeGaAx1vnShRv5MGZPLe-68yZFY_OaHdyF9u7Mi1MxXuOUrc0-MrYHh-52WNu5MBY_YFSDQT2vFCylaruL5fNC4QoTj5QMOWJVvfxlpsTVrW_O_5S59l_YoV2po/s1600/fertilizer.jpg">

Thermal Pollution

Thermal pollution usually occurs in rivers or at dams where factories or energy plants discharge warm or hot water into the moving water, making it a point source.. Large numbers of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans die if exposed to raised water temperatures for an extended period of time. This is because their bodies cannot metabolize properly under these conditions. Fish, especially, can die because their bodies cannot take sudden changes in water temperature. HOWEVER – raised water temperature is not bad for all species. Sea turtles found off the California coast have been found to congregate near electrical discharge factories. This is because the warm water increases the growth of algae and sponges, some of their main food items. Even so, this causes a disruption in balance, and a way to stop thermal pollution is for factories to install cooling systems so they can cool down the wastewater they discharge into the surrounding area.

Physical Pollution




Physical pollution is any input of physical foreign object into a water supply. This can include garbage, plastic, food wrappers, aluminum cans, etc. Most of the time, this can be classified as a direct point source. One of the most common physical “pollution” done by man is in freshwater – i.e., dams. Dams are currently threatening thousands of species across the world, and has already helped to cause the extinction of at least one precious marine mammal. This was the baiji, which was one of five species of rare river dolphins worldwide. It was endemic to the Yangtze River in China. It was proclaimed extinct in 2006 when 2,175 miles of this river was searched, to no avail. Shorelines are also being destroyed through the construction of groins, jetties, and other shoreline structures. Current stacks sand up on the side where the current is coming from, and deprives the other side of sand. There isn’t much we can do to stop this kind of pollution, other than throw away your garbage and recycle recyclable things.

Ways To Detect Pollution

There are many ways to detect each sort of pollutant. For biological pollutants, the most effective way of detecting that is by biological indicators, as most biological pollutants have the greatest effect on endemic species and humans that drink the water. Anomalies in fish and illness in humans are the two leading factors in detecting a biological pollutant. The way of detecting chemical pollutants is by chemical tests. A sample of water can be taken into a lab, and its level of pollutants can be measured. This can tell officials if the body of water has a dangerous level of pollutants, making it unsafe to eat, fish, swim, or use the water to drink from. Detecting thermal pollutants work the same way, only by measuring the temperature of the water and comparing it to past water temperatures to see if it has risen any. Physical pollutants can be detected almost always by sight.

Health Risks

Each pollutant has a multitude of health risks that not only affect the environment, but humans, also. Biological pollutants such as parasites can cause many waterborne diseases such as cholera and malaria, which often end in death. Though the risk of this is not nearly as high in places such as the United States where most water is filtered, drinking contaminated water and eating contaminated fish can cause serious illness. This can be avoided easily by installing working water filtration devices.

Chemical Chemical wastes carry many cancer-causing carcinogens, and chemicals that can cause harmful mutations in high doses. Companies could prevent this by regulating runoff, but so far there isn’t a totally effective way to stop chemical pollution altogether.

Thermal waste, though it doesn’t have any direct harmful effect on humans, can be dangerous because it weakens the immune system of many fish that live in heated waters due to stress. This causes them to contract diseases much easier than they would have normally, and eating contaminated fish can, as it was said before, serious illness. The factories that heat the water can create measures to cool down the wastewater they use in order to prevent this.
Physical waste, though not particularly harmful to humans except in the case of feces, which carries harmful parasites and bacteria such as roundworms and E. Coli, have a particularly adverse effect on the environment, due to the fact that seabirds and fish can choke on plastic pieces that look like food. This is easily the most preventable type of pollution. A way to seriously slow the amount of physical waste that goes into our waterways is to simply recycle and throw away our garbage when finished with them.

Socioeconomics greatly determines what kind of pollutants goes into our waterways. Industrial countries, most notably China, have higher concentrations of chemical pollutants than others whose economies don’t depend as much on factories. That, plus the fact that many rural Chinese homes do not have water filtration systems strong enough to filter these pollutants out, causes China to have one of the highest concentrations of illness related to industrial water. In third-world countries, people are more susceptible to biological pollutants for the same reason, such as in Africa, where malaria and cholera run rampant. The environment also has a part in it. Rising ambient temperatures cause water temperatures to rise naturally, and that plus human activity causes thermal pollution to rise drastically. Culture also determines how pollutants in water affect humans. In Africa, the reason many people stay in the bush is because of tradition and the fact their ancestors had been there for thousands of years. This devotion to their culture prevents them from getting much money, and thus prevents them from getting the tools they need to filter water properly. This leaves them highly susceptible to things like biological and chemical pollutants.

Works Consulted

Library Thinkquest: Water Pollution. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01590/pollution/pollutants.html
April 13 2010

Water Pollution Guide. (2008) Retrieved from http://www.water-pollution.org.uk/chemical.html
April 8 2010

National Geographic: China’s Rare River Dolphin now Extinct, Experts Announce. (14 December 2006) Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061214-dolphin-extinct_2.html
April 8 2010

Pollution Issues: Thermal Pollution. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.pollutionissues.com/Te-Un/Thermal-Pollution.html
April 8, 2010

Environmental Pollution Centers: Chemical Pollution. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.environmentalpollutioncenters.org/chemical/pollutants/
April 12 2010

Zebra Mussels. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Zebra-mussels
April 12 2010

Water Pollution: An Introduction. (16 July 2009) Retrieved from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html
April 12, 2010

Coral Reef Bleaching. (1998) Retrieved from http://www.marinebiology.org/coralbleaching.htm
April 12, 2010

Water Pollution Sources

Water pollution comes from many different sources. It can come from agriculture, industry, and domestic sources. In this blog we will discuss how each type of waste is classified, the methods of detection, repercussions of each, known health risks, and many environmental factors of each type of waste.

Classification

There are three sources of water born pollutants; agricultural, domestic, and industrial sources. Agricultural sources include any waste produced by farming, whether it be runoff or gas emissions. Domestic sources include any source of pollution that comes from every day human life, most notable sewage and other waste products. Industrial sources include any type of pollutant that is a byproduct or is any way related to industry and the manufacturing of goods and energy.

Methods of Detection
The methods of detection differ for each type of source. To detect agricultural waste in an environment, the environment is first professionally evaluated for signs of pollution. A sign of eutrophication in an aquatic environment is an algal bloom. The surface of the water appears red and there is little life in the affected area. A sign of biological magnification is a lack of healthy organisms is a specific environment compared to a similar environment in a different location. After the environment has been evaluated using visible signs, water samples are taken to a lab and tests specifically for evidence of eutrophication and biological magnification.



On the other hand, detecting industrial and domestic waste is not as easily detected by sight as agricultural waste. In order to properly detect and identify a domestic or industrial pollutant, water samples need to be tested in a libratory for hazardous chemical compounds and other pollutants.

Common Cause and Affects
Similar to the methods of detection, the causes and affects differ through each type of waste. Agricultural waste is caused by to major farming methods: the overuse of harmful chemicals and pesticides, and the raising of large amounts of livestock in a small and overpopulated area. The affect of using harmful pesticides is that the water runoff from the farms becomes contaminated with the chemicals. When the runoff reaches any body of water; lakes, streams, rivers, oceans, the chemicals from the pesticides than contaminate the water. These chemicals cause an outbreak of phytoplankton, which suffocate and poison the water around them. This process is call eutrophication, and it is very harmful to fish, crabs, and any other living organism in the water. In addition, raising large amounts of livestock in a small area can cause large amounts of methane gas to pollute the water and environment around them.





Domestic waste is caused by untreated sewage being dumped into waterways. The affects of dumping raw sewage into the water can be drastic for the environment. Raw sewage is very high in many harmful chemicals, specifically nitrogen and nitrates. High levels of nitrogen in the water can cause many problems when consumed by humans and other organisms. It can cause infertility and birth defects.



Industrial waste is generally a side product during the manufacturing of goods with a high economic value. Many companies, in order to save money, just dump their hazardous chemical waste into the aquatic environment around the factory. For example, Pharmaceutical companies dump large amounts of drug byproducts into the water, causing birth defects and diseases in the fishes and other organisms in the water. Fireworks and ammunition companies are dumping highly combustible chemicals such as such as potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, and sodium nitrate. Such chemicals, especially nitrates, can be extremely harmful to the environment. The affects of dumping hazardous chemicals into the water can range from eutrophication to complete organism dead zones.

Repercussions and Health Risks
The repercussions and health risks of each type of pollutant are severe. Agricultural waste, which results in such things as eutrophication, can have a plethora of negative repercussions across its environment. Eutrophication can poison many shellfish and other organisms in the area, rendering them inedible for the people that rely on them for food and business. This can cause a downturn for the economy in areas reliant on fishing that are affected by eutrophication.

Domestic waste, which results in high levels of nitrogen and other nitrates in the polluted water, can also have many negative repercussions for the people relying on the water to drink, cook, and bathe. When consumed, water with domestic pollutants can have many repercussions on the reproductive system. It can cause infertility in women and birth defects in children. The same affects are felt by the animals drinking the water, having negative repercussions on the farmers that make money off them.

Industrial waste, which has similar results as agricultural waste, has similar negative repercussions. It can cause aquatic dead zones which result in poisoning of shellfish and other fish. Most fish in the affected area either die or relocate, while shellfish, unable to get away, stay in the affected area. This badly affects any economy relying on fishing, and has many other far-reaching negative repercussions.

Preventive Measures or Strategies
Although each type of pollution is very dangerous and harmful to the environment, there are strategies to prevent the pollution in the first place. For Agriculture, preventive measures are easy, but not very cost effective for farmers. To prevent agricultural pollution, farmers could simply grow organically to avoid contaminating the water supply with pesticides. Another way to prevent pesticides from reaching the waterways are to built barriers of earth, sediment, or concrete in between farmlands and bodies of water. This blocks any agricultural runoff from reaching the water. They could also raise fewer animals in a larger space, preventing an inordinate amount of methane gas from getting into the water. Although these strategies are very easy to do and do not require that much time or energy, farmers are reluctant to do these things because it is not cost effective. The use of pesticides can increase the productivity of a farm substantially, and growing organic is very expensive. Also, in order to make as much money as possible, farmers jam pack as much livestock into their fields as possible. If they were to decrease the number of livestock they kept, obviously they would loose money.

The preventive measures for domestic waste are already in effect all over the country, but they just need to be upgraded more widespread. Sewage treatment facilities, which are the main way of preventing domestic waste from reaching the water, for the most part do their job. In some instances though, raw sewage is being spilled into the water without ever being to a treatment facility. The way to prevent this from happening is to built more sewage treatment facilities and upgrades the existing ones. Currently, there are many contaminants in our sewage that most treatment facilities do not filter out, such as prescription drugs and some household cleaners. By upgrading the existing facilities, these contaminants would be filtered out to.

To prevent industrial pollution, the factories and plants in which manufactured goods and energy are produced need to be upgraded to operate in an eco-friendly manor. Many factories and power plants have pipes leading directly from the factory to a local body of water, dumping many untreated and hazardous chemicals into the water ways. By simply improving these factories so that the waste they produce is disposed of correctly and not dumped into the water, a large percent of industrial pollution in the water will disappear.

Environmental Factors
Areas where farms are located next to or close to a lake, stream, or river are much more prone to agricultural pollution then areas where farms are not located near bodies of water. Having the farms located next to bodies of water make it very easy for the pesticide and methane filled runoff to reach the major water ways, therefore these areas are much more susceptible to the affects of eutrophication.

Areas where there are poor sewage disposal systems, like in many third world countries, are much more likely to have domestic pollution in their drinking water then modern countries who have sewage treatment plants. In many African and Asian countries, people go to the bathroom in the same rivers and streams they use to drink out of.

Areas where there are many factories situated around a single body of water are very susceptible to industrial pollution in the water. If one factory is dumping waste into the water it is bad, but withstandable. If many factories, though, are dumping into the same body of water, the results are much worse.




Socioeconomic Considerations
Although many of these forms of pollution are preventable, the preventive measures needed to be taken are often times very costly. For this reason, third world countries are generally the hardest hit by water pollution. Cleaning up the waterways s expensive, but for a modern country there is no excuse for not putting governmental funds into cleaning up the water.

Cultural Beliefs

Unfortunately, many cultures do not place as much importance on keeping the water clean as others. In many Asian and African cultures, it is commonplace to use a river or stream as a bathroom, which is very bad for the cleanliness of the water. Some cultures, like the Hindus, believe that bathing in the Ganges river will cleanse them, while all its doing is damaging them. Because of these individual cultural beliefs, many people are either unable or unwilling to take part in stopping agricultural, domestic, and industrial pollution in water.

Springer, J (2005). Share of agricultural. Retrieved March 30, 2010, from Spring Link website: http://www.springertink.com/content/mj36w250823395/

AsiaNews C.F. (2010, April 8). Death of a Sea. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from Asia News. It website: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?1=en&art=8271

Farlex, Inc. (2010). Envionrmental and Health Impacts: the case of the Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from The Free Libraray Website: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/enviornmental+and+ health+impacts+08+household+solid+waste+handling…-aol138814095.

Caroline, David, Miche, Mindy, Neil, and Vikas. (1999). The Enviornment's Challenge. Retrieved April 4,2010, from of the The Enviornment A Global Challenge: http://www.librarythinkquest.org/26026/Enviornmental_problems/hazardous_waste.html.

National Cattlemen's Fuel Association. (2010). FMD. Retirieved April 5,2010, from of the FMDInfo.org: http://www.fmdinfo.org/aboutfund.aspx.

Floodity and Sewage Back-ups: Home Care Guide. Retieved April 5, 2010, from of the madd.org: http://www.mass.gov/dep/waterlaws/floodry.htm.

UF. (2007, November 11). Csrees Florida Water Quality Program. Retrieved April 5, 2010. from UF University of Florida IFAS Extension Website: http://waterquality;fas.ufl.edu/FAQS/FAQS-waste.htm.

WATER POLLUTION: ITS CAUSES AND REPERCUSSIONS

Water pollution comes from many different sources. It can come from agriculture, industry, and domestic sources. In this blog we will discuss how each type of waste is classified, the methods of detection, repercussions of each, known health risks, and many environmental factors of each type of waste.

Methods of Detection
The methods of detection differ for each type of source. To detect agricultural waste in an environment, the environment is first professionally evaluated for signs of pollution. A sign of eutrophication in an aquatic environment is an algal bloom. The surface of the water appears red and there is little life in the affected area. A sign of biological magnification is a lack of healthy organisms is a specific environment compared to a similar environment in a different location. After the environment has been evaluated using visible signs, water samples are taken to a lab and tests specifically for evidence of eutrophication and biological magnification.
On the other hand, detecting industrial and domestic waste is not as easily detected by sight as agricultural waste. In order to properly detect and identify a domestic or industrial pollutant, water samples need to be tested in a libratory for hazardous chemical compounds and other pollutants.

Common Cause and Affects
Similar to the methods of detection, the causes and affects differ through each type of waste. Agricultural waste is caused by to major farming methods: the overuse of harmful chemicals and pesticides, and the raising of large amounts of livestock in a small and overpopulated area. The affect of using harmful pesticides is that the water runoff from the farms becomes contaminated with the chemicals. When the runoff reaches any body of water; lakes, streams, rivers, oceans, the chemicals from the pesticides than contaminate the water. These chemicals cause an outbreak of phytoplankton, which suffocate and poison the water around them. This process is call eutrophication, and it is very harmful to fish, crabs, and any other living organism in the water. In addition, raising large amounts of livestock in a small area can cause large amounts of methane gas to pollute the water and environment around them.
Domestic waste is caused by untreated sewage being dumped into waterways. The affects of dumping raw sewage into the water can be drastic for the environment. Raw sewage is very high in many harmful chemicals, specifically nitrogen and nitrates. High levels of nitrogen in the water can cause many problems when consumed by humans and other organisms. It can cause infertility and birth defects.
Industrial waste is generally a side product during the manufacturing of goods with a high economic value. Many companies, in order to save money, just dump their hazardous chemical waste into the aquatic environment around the factory. For example, Pharmaceutical companies dump large amounts of drug byproducts into the water, causing birth defects and diseases in the fishes and other organisms in the water. Fireworks and ammunition companies are dumping highly combustible chemicals such as such as potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, and sodium nitrate. Such chemicals, especially nitrates, can be extremely harmful to the environment. The affects of dumping hazardous chemicals into the water can range from eutrophication to complete organism dead zones.
Repercussions and Health Risks
The repercussions and health risks of each type of pollutant are severe. Agricultural waste, which results in such things as eutrophication, can have a plethora of negative repercussions across its environment. Eutrophication can poison many shellfish and other organisms in the area, rendering them inedible for the people that rely on them for food and business. This can cause a downturn for the economy in areas reliant on fishing that are affected by eutrophication.
Domestic waste, which results in high levels of nitrogen and other nitrates in the polluted water, can also have many negative repercussions for the people relying on the water to drink, cook, and bathe. When consumed, water with domestic pollutants can have many repercussions on the reproductive system. It can cause infertility in women and birth defects in children. The same affects are felt by the animals drinking the water, having negative repercussions on the farmers that make money off them.
Industrial waste, which has similar results as agricultural waste, has similar negative repercussions. It can cause aquatic dead zones which result in poisoning of shellfish and other fish. Most fish in the affected area either die or relocate, while shellfish, unable to get away, stay in the affected area. This badly affects any economy relying on fishing, and has many other far-reaching negative repercussions.

Preventive Measures or Strategies
Although each type of pollution is very dangerous and harmful to the environment, there are strategies to prevent the pollution in the first place. For Agriculture, preventive measures are easy, but not very cost effective for farmers. To prevent agricultural pollution, farmers could simply grow organically to avoid contaminating the water supply with pesticides. Another way to prevent pesticides from reaching the waterways are to built barriers of earth, sediment, or concrete in between farmlands and bodies of water. This blocks any agricultural runoff from reaching the water. They could also raise fewer animals in a larger space, preventing an inordinate amount of methane gas from getting into the water. Although these strategies are very easy to do and do not require that much time or energy, farmers are reluctant to do these things because it is not cost effective. The use of pesticides can increase the productivity of a farm substantially, and growing organic is very expensive. Also, in order to make as much money as possible, farmers jam pack as much livestock into their fields as possible. If they were to decrease the number of livestock they kept, obviously they would loose money.
The preventive measures for domestic waste are already in effect all over the country, but they just need to be upgraded more widespread. Sewage treatment facilities, which are the main way of preventing domestic waste from reaching the water, for the most part do their job. In some instances though, raw sewage is being spilled into the water without ever being to a treatment facility. The way to prevent this from happening is to built more sewage treatment facilities and upgrades the existing ones. Currently, there are many contaminants in our sewage that most treatment facilities do not filter out, such as prescription drugs and some household cleaners. By upgrading the existing facilities, these contaminants would be filtered out to.
To prevent industrial pollution, the factories and plants in which manufactured goods and energy are produced need to be upgraded to operate in an eco-friendly manor. Many factories and power plants have pipes leading directly from the factory to a local body of water, dumping many untreated and hazardous chemicals into the water ways. By simply improving these factories so that the waste they produce is disposed of correctly and not dumped into the water, a large percent of industrial pollution in the water will disappear.

Environmental Factors
Areas where farms are located next to or close to a lake, stream, or river are much more prone to agricultural pollution then areas where farms are not located near bodies of water. Having the farms located next to bodies of water make it very easy for the pesticide and methane filled runoff to reach the major water ways, therefore these areas are much more susceptible to the affects of eutrophication.
Areas where there are poor sewage disposal systems, like in many third world countries, are much more likely to have domestic pollution in their drinking water then modern countries who have sewage treatment plants. In many African and Asian countries, people go to the bathroom in the same rivers and streams they use to drink out of.
Areas where there are many factories situated around a single body of water are very susceptible to industrial pollution in the water. If one factory is dumping waste into the water it is bad, but withstandable. If many factories, though, are dumping into the same body of water, the results are much worse.

Socioeconomic Considerations
Although many of these forms of pollution are preventable, the preventive measures needed to be taken are often times very costly. For this reason, third world countries are generally the hardest hit by water pollution. Cleaning up the waterways s expensive, but for a modern country there is no excuse for not putting governmental funds into cleaning up the water.

Cultural Beliefs
Unfortunately, many cultures do not place as much importance on keeping the water clean as others. In many Asian and African cultures, it is commonplace to use a river or stream as a bathroom, which is very bad for the cleanliness of the water. Some cultures, like the Hindus, believe that bathing in the Ganges river will cleanse them, while all its doing is damaging them. Because of these individual cultural beliefs, many people are either unable or unwilling to take part in stopping agricultural, domestic, and industrial pollution in water.

Works Consulted

Springer, J (2005). Share of agricultural. Retrieved March 30, 2010, from Spring Link website: http://www.springertink.com/content/mj36w250823395/

AsiaNews C.F. (2010, April 8). Death of a Sea. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from Asia News. It website: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?1=en&art=8271

Farlex, Inc. (2010). Envionrmental and Health Impacts: the case of the Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from The Free Libraray Website: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/enviornmental+and+ health+impacts+08+household+solid+waste+handling…-aol138814095.

Caroline, David, Miche, Mindy, Neil, and Vikas. (1999). The Enviornment's Challenge. Retrieved April 4,2010, from of the The Enviornment A Global Challenge: http://www.librarythinkquest.org/26026/Enviornmental_problems/hazardous_waste.html.

National Cattlemen's Fuel Association. (2010). FMD. Retirieved April 5,2010, from of the FMDInfo.org: http://www.fmdinfo.org/aboutfund.aspx.

Floodity and Sewage Back-ups: Home Care Guide. Retieved April 5, 2010, from of the madd.org: http://www.mass.gov/dep/waterlaws/floodry.htm.

UF. (2007, November 11). Csrees Florida Water Quality Program. Retrieved April 5, 2010. from UF University of Florida IFAS Extension Website: http://waterquality;fas.ufl.edu/FAQS/FAQS-waste.htm.

Post 1: Introduction To Water Contaminants

In this blog, we will be discussing different areas of water pollution, what it means, how it is detected, and the possible health risk. We will go into detail on the different classifications of water pollution, as well as common causes and effects. This post discusses water pollution and what it does, as well as suggesting methods of prevention and the environmental factors contributing to water pollution.


Categories of Water Pollution

Water pollution is classified by the method in which the pollutants reach the water. The two categories of pollution in water are point source and non point source pollutions. Point source pollution stems from one single source, it may be an event such as an oil spill or toxic waste dump. Point source pollution can be traced back to one event of contamination, so it is easier to identify and control. On the other hand, non point source pollution comes from many sources over extended periods of time. Some examples of non point source pollutions are car exhaust, which gradually acidifies lakes and rivers; and garbage such as plastics, which gradually accumulate in the water from many different dumps.


Common Methods of Detection

When attempting to detect pollution in a certain area or body of water, the first and foremost indicator of any contaminants that may be present is the appearance of the water. Some
common pollutants in water, such as oil spills or plastic waste, can be easily seen from the surface, and thus very easily detected. Technically speaking, there are two major types of indicators that tell how much pollution there is in a specific area. The first are chemical indicators. To find these, take a water sample and measure the amount of contaminants or chemicals in a certain volume of water. The second are Biological indicators. To find these, one can examine the biodiversity of the organisms living in and around the water. If there is an unusually low number of healthy species living in the area, then the water probably has some type of pollution.

Pollutants

Water pollution, similar to any other widespread issues, has not one but many different causes. Pollutants can be anything from animal waste to pesticides. Even the drugs we put into our bodies end up polluting the water around us. Common affects of water pollution can range from acid precipitation, caused by the exhaust from our cars and factories, to oxygen dead zones such as algal blooms as shown below, caused by pesticides such as nitrogen and phosphorus. The fact is pollution in our waters is so widespread that the number of causes and effects are still unknown.





Repercussions

As earlier states, some of the most common effects of point and non-point source pollutions are acidity in water and oxygen dead zones caused by algal blooms. These effects have many negative repercussions on the enviornment around the water, mainly towards the organisms living in the water, and the people who depend on the water for drinking and bathing. Overly acidic water can cause deformities among fish and even dead zones similar to that of the overly salty water of the Dead Sea. Oxygen dead zones cannot support life whatsoever, so the fish and underwater plants that depend on the area to live are forced to either move or die. FIsh, such as the striped bass, who inhabit the deep water during summer months , are forced to migrate to shallower, warmer water because of oxygen dead sones in the deep caused by blooming red algae. This causes diseases among the stripe bass populations inn the area and could have serious repercussions towards the species in the future.

Proactive measures

Once there is pollution in the water there is little we as humans can do other than to prevent any more pollutants from getting there. Humans can clean up the beaches to prevent trash form being washed into the ocean, but the most effective way to clean up the waterways is to prevent further pollution. Measures that can be taken once there is known pollution in the water are to monitor very closely what we flush down the toilet, put in the ground, and dump into open waterways. Over time, levels of pollutants in water will go down as long as there is not continued pollution.

Preventive Strategies

If pollution is detected in a specific body of water, there are many different measures that can be taken to prevent further pollution and help clean up the water. Some of the most popular measures taken by the government to prevent water pollution are strict laws against processes that lead to water pollution such as dumping. Also, individuals can be fined for littering, which can reduce the amount of garbage in the water. In addition, governmental and private recycling facilities can be set up to reduce the amount of plastic found in the waterways. Finally, one of the best ways to prevent water pollution is to educate the public on the dire situation surrounding our water and get them to take part in cleaning up.






Health Risks

The health risks of a polluted water source are abundant for the people depending on it for drinking, washing, and other daily uses. Consuming water that is polluted with lead and other dangerous metals can result in cancer. Pesticides in our drinking water can cause infertility and birth defects. Animal waste can cause infections and bacterial diseases. Various types of metal in the water can cause things such as kidney damage, organ failure, tooth decay, and skin irritation. Clean water is one of the most important components for all human life, and with pollution on the rise, the health problems that are accompanying it are also increasing.




Enviornmental Factors

Areas with droughts are prone to drinking water with pollutants in it because of the extreme scarcity of this resource, such as certain parts of Africa. Since water in rivers aren't flowing, this causes them to become stagnant, which causes harmful bacteria, parasites, and microbes to thrive. People are forced to drink this, sometimes without filtration if in a rural area with little to no technology.

Cultural Beliefs

Different countries around the world are aware of water pollution to an extent. Some countries like the United States are more infromed about water pollution and its affects however countries like India differ. It is a Hindu tradition to bathe in the Ghanges river for purification, however, due to India's poor enviornmental laws and the waste being washed off in the river, those who bathe and drink from it can get sick from waterbourne diseases. Some cultures dont stress the importance of water and provide a proper education.

Socioeconomic Considerations

Most of China's population works in factories because of the world's demand of manufactured goods from China. Because of the sheer amount of production going on, waterways get polluted, intentionally or not. However, this won't be able to changeg soon, considering the huge amount of people that make their living from these places. Rural places without filtration also tend to have water with more pollutants, because they don't have the technology. Many countries don't have enough money to clense their water, therefore, they are compelled to bathe, drink, wash clothes, and perform daily activities all in the same body of water.

Conclusion

Environmental factors related to the health of a society are plentiful. Ecosystems must remain healthy and stable in order to support any life, including humans. Only now are humans realizing just how large our impact on the Earth is. Many impoverished and undeveloped countries don’t understand the need to save the planet. Even developed countries, like the United States and the UK, are doing little to prevent the demise of our planet. Many people who have been rejecting the fact that our planet is in trouble are only now beginning to open their eyes to the problems we will face in the future because of the choices we make today. In order for our society to remain stable our planet must remain healthy. There will be no economy or society if we continue to contaminate Earth.







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