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Water Pollution
Water pollution occurs when a body of water is adversely affected due
to the addition of large amounts of materials to the water. 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.
Business:
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
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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:
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.
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