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Water Pollution: MedlinePlus

Water Pollution
We all need clean water. People need it to grow crops and to operate factories, and for drinking and recreation. Fish and wildlife depend on it to survive. Many different pollutants can harm our rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. The three most common are soil, nutrients, and bacteria. Rain washes soil into streams and rivers. The soil can kill tiny animals and fish eggs. It can clog the gills of fish and block light, causing plants to die. Nutrients, often from fertilizers, cause problems in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Nitrogen and phosphorus make algae grow and can turn water green. Bacteria, often from sewage spills, can pollute fresh or salt water. You can help protect your water supply: Don't pour household products such as cleansers, beauty products, medicines, auto fluids, paint, and lawn care products down the drain. Take them to a hazardous waste collection site. Throw away excess household grease (meat fats, lard, cooking oil, shortening, butter, margarine, etc.) diapers, condoms, and personal hygiene products in the garbage can. Clean up after your pets. Pet waste contains nutrients and germs. Environmental Protection Agency

Start Here
Primer on Water Quality [http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-027-01/] (U.S. Geological Survey) What Can You Do to Protect Local Waterways? [http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/centralized_brochure.pdf] (Environmental Protection Agency) - PDF

Overviews
Learn about Water [http://www2.epa.gov/learn-issues/learn-about-water] (Environmental Protection Agency) Pollution [http://www.chbr.noaa.gov/stressors/pollution.aspx] (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science) Water Quality [http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterquality.html] (U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Water Quality)

Prevention/Screening
Do's and Don'ts Around the Home [http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/dosdont.cfm] (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water) Protecting Water Quality from Agricultural Runoff [http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/Ag_Runoff_Fact_Sheet.pdf] (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water) - PDF Protecting Water Quality from Urban Runoff [http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/nps_urban-facts_final.pdf] (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water) - PDF

Specific Conditions
Acid Rain [http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/] (Environmental Protection Agency) Also available in Spanish [http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/spanish/] Beach Pollution [http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/beaches/pollution.cfm] (Environmental Protection Agency) Also available in Spanish [http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/beaches/contaminacion.cfm] Biological Hazards in Sewage and Wastewater Treatment Plants [http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/hazsludge.pdf] (Center to Protect Workers' Rights) PDF Contaminated Sediments in Water [http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/sediments/cs/index.cfm] (Environmental Protection Agency) Effects of Urbanization on Water Quality: Pesticides [http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/urbanpest.html] (U.S. Geological Survey) Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) [http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/hab/default.htm] (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Hysteria over Pfiesteria [http://www.epa.gov/owow/NPS/nps_edu/pdf/hysteria.pdf] (Environmental Protection Agency) - PDF Special Topics in Water Science (Water Pollution) [http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/specials.html] (U.S.
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Water Pollution: MedlinePlus

Geological Survey)

Related Issues
Coastal Watershed Factsheets [http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/factsheet_index.cfm] (Environmental Protection Agency) Residential Wastewater Treatment Systems [http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resources/greenliving/wastewater-treatment-system-alternatives/residential-wastewater-treatment-systems] (NSF International) Watersheds [http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/index.cfm] (Environmental Protection Agency) What Is Nonpoint Source Pollution? [http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/whatis.cfm] (Environmental Protection Agency)

Tutorials
Tox Town [http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/] (National Library of Medicine) Also available in Spanish [http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/]

Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Protozoan Infections [http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Protozoan+Infections%22] Health) (National Institutes of

Research
Harmful Algal Blooms [http://www.cop.noaa.gov/stressors/extremeevents/hab/] (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science)

Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Groundwater arsenic contamination throughout China. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23970694?tool=MedlinePlus] Article: Geochemistry. An arsenic forecast for China. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23970688? tool=MedlinePlus] Article: Fish consumption and advisory awareness among older Wisconsin fishermen. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23894808?tool=MedlinePlus] Article: Public infrastructure disparities and the microbiological and chemical safety of... [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23858663?tool=MedlinePlus] Water Pollution -- see more articles [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed? term=water+pollutants[majr]+OR+water+pollution[majr]+OR+water+microbiology[majr]+AND+english[la]+A ND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])+AND+%22last+1+Year%22[edat]&tool=MedlinePlus] Pfiesteria -- see more articles [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed? term=pfiesteria+piscicida[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+%22last+5+Years%22[edat]&tool=MedlinePlus]

Dictionaries/Glossaries
Water Science Glossary of Terms [http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/dictionary.html] (U.S. Geological Survey)

Directories
Beach Advisory and Closing On-line Notification: Find a Beach [http://watersgeo.epa.gov/beacon2/Beacon.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water) Fish Consumption Advisories [http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishshellfish/fishadvisories/index.cfm] (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water)

Organizations
Environmental Protection Agency [http://www.epa.gov/] National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/] Also available in Spanish [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/community/espanol/] U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Water Quality [http://water.usgs.gov/owq/]

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Children
Fish Kids [http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/fishkids/] (Environmental Protection Agency) Date last updated: 25 September 2013 Topic last reviewed: 20 August 2013

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