⁠⁠Water Pollution: Causes, Types, Environmental Impact and Preventive Measures

Water pollution refers to the contamination of water by different impurities such as trash, industrial waste and plastic scraps. This pollution is caused by the disposal of industrial waste and the dumping of garbage in water bodies. Water contamination causes harm to the environment and is responsible for spreading diseases like typhoid, cholera, and diarrhea. Therefore, it is highly important for kids to understand its causes and impacts to save ourselves and our environment through various preventive measures.

Table of Contents 

• What is Water Pollution
• Types and Effects of Water Pollution
• Causes of Water Pollution
• Prevention of Water Pollution

What is Water Pollution

Water pollution refers to the contamination of water due to the disposal of industrial waste and the dumping of garbage. There are many health and environmental threats posed by water pollution in our environment. Some of these include the spread of diseases, depletion of aquatic life and disruption of the food chain. There are various types, causes and effects of water pollution that we will learn further.

Types and Effects of Water Pollution

Understanding the types and effect of water pollution on our lives and environment is important for everyone. Depending on the water resources getting contaminated, water pollution is classified into different types. The different types of water pollution are: groundwater pollution, surface water pollution, marine pollution, point source and non-point source pollution. While point source pollution happens from a known source such as an industrial or sewerage outlet, the non-point source pollution is caused due to multiple unidentified sources.

All the above types of water pollution are harmful for our environment in many ways. Along with adversely impacting our environment and marine life, water pollution poses serious threats to human beings. For example, in rural areas, 80% of diseases are spread due to the consumption of contaminated water. Let’s learn about the effect of water pollution:

• Human Health: Water contamination spreads diseases caused by bacteria and viruses such as diarrhea. 
• Aquatic Life: It is the biggest threat to aquatic life that causes ecological imbalance. Discarded plastic bottles, polythene bags, and other scraps in waters result in choking and entangling many animals.
• Environmental Impact: Water pollution disrupts the water cycle and introduces pollutants such as heavy metals and impurities in our soil and food through plants. The oil spills in oceans lead to the death of marine life and have a devastating effect on marine ecosystems. 

Causes of Water Pollution

Industrial Discharge: Harmful chemicals released from the industries have a huge impact on aquatic life. The industrial waste in the form of harmful chemicals gets into our water bodies like rivers, ponds and lakes posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems.

Agricultural Runoff: The chemicals from fertilizers seep into ground water and also get washed away into water bodies such as rivers, ponds, lakes and streams with rains. This leads to the contamination of water that results in disruption of aquatic life. 

Household Waste Disposal: Domestic solid and liquid waste disposed improperly gets washed away into water bodies with rain and leads to contamination of water causing various diseases. 

Oil Spills: The accidental leakage of oil in ocean water results in the release of hydrocarbons that are highly toxic and have a long lasting impact on marine life.

Sewerage and Untreated Water: Untreated sewerage water carries bacteria and pathogens that pollutes water and makes it unsafe for consumption. 

Prevention of Water Pollution

• Avoid plastic and replace it with some reusable and biodegradable material to prevent plastic debris from entering water bodies. 
• Ensure proper waste disposals. Don’t let plastic and other harmful waste enter water bodies by managing them properly
• Use organic products and adapt eco-friendly agricultural practices to prevent water pollution. 
• Spread awareness about the importance of clean water and the impact of water pollution on our environment to prevent it.