Water quality is a major issue that mankind has been facing in recent years. Water is distinguished from other environmental components, as it is not replaceable. The water cycle constitutes the basic dynamics of the life and economy cycles. Water resources are limited and exposed to numerous human-induced negative impacts. Fresh water resources constitute only 2.5% of water resources on our planet. Water is an indispensable resource for all living things and is a vital value. Life cannot be considered without water. The existence of sufficient and good quality water is the basic condition of freshwater ecosystems as well as food security and sustainable development, and therefore the future of humanity. Pollution of limited fresh water resources causes further pressure on fresh water resources. Eight liters of clean water must be used to clean one liter of wastewater. Safe drinking water is an indispensable need for all human beings.
The WHO reports that 80% of diseases (bacterial, viral and parasitic) are waterborne. Humans contribute in a great way to waste and pollute this important natural resource. Education and awareness raising related to water pollution should be given to humanity so that this problem can be reduced to a certain level.
This research is about the current scientific advancements to deal with water pollutants and mainly focuses on the source of various water pollutants and their current status in the environment and ecosystem. It is believed that this study will contribute to the literature on this subject and to the reduction of pollution levels of water resources.
Introduction
Environmental components such as water and the stability of these components are very important for all living organisms and the future of the earth. All organisms in the ecosystem are connected to each other with life links. Therefore, the degradation that occurs in one part of the system affects the entire system over time. Water is distinguished from other environmental components because it is the main source of life and cannot be replaced. Most of the major problems facing mankind in recent years are related to water quantity and water quality (UNESCO, 2009). Water should be preserved and protected from all types of pollutants. Water is among the undecided igredient at the center of life. Without water, life is not possible. But water resources are contaminated by various toxic, industrial pollutants, which result in some problems such as unsafe for consumption by humans and irrigation activities; so this leads to water shortage for humans and ecosystem. There are two different water sources on our planet. The first is the water we see in oceans, rivers, lakes and ponds called surface water. Surface water is home to many species of plants and animals that depend not only on the quantity, but also on the quality of water to survive. Another one is groundwater, which is stored below the surface in the Earth’s aquifers. This source of water feeds our rivers and oceans and makes up most of the world’s drinking water supply. Both of these water resources are vital for life on earth, both can get dirty in different ways. The term pollution can define as contamination; impurity, dirt, soiling, spoiling, destruction.
Among the types of pollution, water pollution is of prime importance for the health of all living organisms; especially mankind. Unfortunately, water sources are used unintentionally and contaminated by humans and they put their future generations at risk. When water gets polluted, it becomes unsafe for human consumption as water contains dangerous or toxic substances and disease-causing bacteria and organisms (Friedel, 2003).
While the economic activities that began with the industrialization process provided growth and development of countries, they also caused environmental problems and especially negative impacts on water resources. Although a significant part of the earth is covered with water, the amount of water available is very small. In addition to natural causes, damage caused by human activities has put pressure on limited water resources and global water problems. Various research and studies are conducted on the global water problem. Studies show that, in addition to climatic phenomena such as drought, global warming and climate change, several causes such as the increase in the world’s population, the increase in urbanization rate and the pollution of water resources will cause a global water crisis. “As the human population and development in modern technology increase, the risk for water pollution also increases” (Ahmed, 2010). The main reason behind the water crisis in the world is water pollution. Global water quality is threatened by industries, agricultural activities, cities, mining areas and other reasons. This pollution is then transferred to surface and groundwater (Dwivedi, 2017). When surface water polluted it can cause health and environmental risks. In addition, waterways have important roles for washing and cleaning, for fishing and fish farming, and for recreation. In addition, toxic chemicals can be dissolved from soil or rock layers into groundwater (U.S. EPA, 1999).
In recent years, there has been a large increase in the demand for freshwater due to the rapid growth of population and rapid industrialization (Ramakrishnaiya et al., 2009). Living organisms, ecosystems and human health are threatened by most of the agricultural development activities especially with regard to excessive application of fertilizers and unsanitary conditions (Okeke and Igboanua, 2003). Anthropogenic activities also caused the deterioration of water quality in many parts of the world (Wang et al., 2010). Water pollution is one of the most important isuue for the government and scientists. Therefore, protecting water sources and water quality is extremely important due to severe water pollution and global scarcity of water resources. To prevent this negative impact, it is primarily necessary to educate people about the negative effects of environmental and water pollution. Moreover, the sensitivity and importance of the topic can be emphasized with such studies.
Sources of Water Pollutants
Water pollution is one of the major environmental problems of today. Natural resource water is the most vulnerable in terms of pollution. We can list the main causes of water pollution as follows: Industrialization, plastic and polythene bags, pesticides and fertilizers, sewage and other oxygen demanding wastes, domestic sewage, population growth, urbanization, eutrophication, mining, agro-sustainable wastes, nutrient rich pollution. It has been recorded that 75 to 80% of water pollution is caused by domestic sewage. Wastes from industries, e.g., pesticides, sugar, textile, paper and pulp are polluting the water (Kambala, 2014). Polluted water and water sources have disagreeable odor and have less flora and fauna. 80% of the world’s population is facing threats to water security (OWA, 2013). Large volumes of domestic sewage are discharged into the river and most of the sewage is untreated. Domestic sewage contains solid waste, toxic substances, plastic litters, bacterial contaminants and these toxic materials cause water pollution. Various industrial wastes that are discharged into the river without treatment is also one of the main causes of water pollution (Desai and Vanitaben, 2014).
Harmful chemicals can enter waterways with a point source or a nonpoint source. Point source pollution is caused by discharge from a single source, such as an industrial site. Nonpoint-source pollution includes many small sources (pesticides, fertilizers..). (U.S. EPA, 2000). “Pesticides are used to kill bacteria, insects and various germs. Chemical containing pesticides are directly polluting the water and affect the water quality. If pesticides are excessive in amount or poorly managed, it will be dangerous to the agricultural ecosystem” (Yonglong et al., 2015). If the water flowing through the dams has depleted suspended material, a large amount settles at the bottom of the dams and it becomes depleted of nutrients and often more saline with harmful effects on downstream agriculture and fisheries. The water pollution grade is dependent on the ecological effect of the pollutant, the abundance of the pollutant, and the use of the water. Pollutants are derived from natural causes, particularly biological, chemical, or physical actions; also major pollution is as a result of human activities. Sometimes rain runs over the land and through the ground collecting contaminants from agricultural fields and lawns such as pesticides and fertilizers; animal waste, oil and urban road salt; and toxic elements from abandoned mines (Tóth, 2009).
Increasing population also plays a negative role in polluting water; increasing population leads to increased solid waste production (Jaben et al., 2011). Solid and liquid wastes are discharged into rivers; water is also contaminated by human emissions. In contaminated water, a large number of bacteria are also found which is harmful to human health. As more and more people move to cities and towns, these factors cause water pollution and water consumption. Deforestation and urban development often leads to water pollution. Some pollutants (agrochemicals, pesticides, petrochemicals hydrocarbons, heavy metals and radio nuclides…) may be formed during the concentration and transformation of naturally occurring compounds during their domestic, agricultural or industrial use. Many chemicals do not occur in nature and these chemicals are entirely man-made. For example, the synthesis of various pesticides, surfactants, plastics and petrochemicals has caused serious environmental and water quality problems (Toth, 2009).
Wetlands are nature’s way of cleaning water as well as harming water; the destruction of wetlands destroys habitats and removes natural filters capable of storing and degrading many pollutants; therefore destroying wetlands causes water pollution.
Negative Effects of Water Pollution
Water pollution; it is the name given to the pollution observed in water basins such as lakes, rivers, oceans, seas and groundwater. It can be defined as substances mixed with water, altering the physical, chemical and biological properties of water, destroying their natural composition and creating an alteration that will harm human and living health. Water pollution has many negative effects on the entire ecosystem, especially on humans and marine organisms. As a result of increased water pollution, plant growth is adversely affected; minerals necessary for photosynthesis cannot be obtained and forests cannot grow. Sewage causes pollution by mixing waste with water, causing severe pollution. Dirty water also causes bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases in the human body. The growth of algae prevents fish and other marine organisms from taking oxygen and negatively affects the ecosystem.
The free circulation of toxic water in nature poisons the soil and pollutes groundwater in particular. Damage to the soil threatens the life of living things in the area. With the discharge of sewage water into the sea, the life of organisms in the sea is adversely affected. As the most important symptoms of pollution, improper habitat, overfishing and improper use of technology, life in the sea and inland waters is reduced in number and species. Exposure to various chemicals causes illness and death as a result. The natural balance of living things that take these chemical substances into their bodies is disturbed. There is a great relationship between water pollution and health problems. Many waterborne illness and infections are spreading human to human (Haldar and Islam, 2015). Health risks associated with polluted water include various diseases such as respiratory diseases, cancer, reproductive system diseases, diarrheal diseases, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases (Ulla et al., 2014).
By its nature, water is a very fluid thing. It flows through the world without regard to borders or boundaries, crossing state lines and country borders. This means that pollution from one part of the world can affect a community in another. This makes it difficult to set any standards in our ways of using and preserving the earth’s water. When water pollution is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is pollution in rivers, lakes, groundwater and sea water. Water pollution not only endangers life in the water, but also causes serious health problems in the area where the pollution occurs. Water pollution also has a serious impact on human health. Environmental risk factors that cause diseases with high mortality rates in developing countries include unsafe water, lack of a wastewater system and inadequate hygiene practices. Intestinal diseases are among the obvious consequences of these factors. Diseases such as hepatitis, diarrhea and cholera stand out as the main diseases caused by water pollution.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Water is a very important source for all living organisms; All living organisms need water so it is life itself. It keeps them alive but polluted water is a very harmful substance. When humans drink polluted water it has serious effects on their health. Air, water and soil are the main elements of our environment (Obafemi et al., 2012). In an effort to address environmental pollution, environmental education is a vital factor. The main purpose of environmental and water pollution education is to equip learners with knowledge, values and skills that promote the protection and preservation of the environment. The best thing you can do to prevent water pollution is to educate yourself and your environment about the world’s water supply and conservation projects and to support such actions. An important purpose of water education is to teach understanding about water pollution so that water resources can be best protected. Water pollution education is a very important and effective tool to promote public awareness. Water pollution prevention training should be done as follows: producers should be informed by experts about proper fertilization, people should be informed about the recycling process and waste materials, information should be given about the harms of excessive consumption, media should be used in promoting water pollution awareness, people should be informed about the importance of all natural resources for life, activities should be offered regularly for water resources. The ideal process to reduce the diffuse pollution of waterways is to reduce or avoid the use of chemicals for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes (Scheierling, 1995).
Water pollution is a worldwide issue and the world community is facing the worst consequences of polluted water. It is recommended that there should be proper waste disposal systems and waste should be treated before entering the river. Educational and awareness programs, seminars, workshops should be organized to control pollution. Some measures have to be taken before such a big problem occurs. Water pollution causes many negative effects such as diseases, deaths of aquatic animals, economic costs of cleaning processes, destruction of ecosystems, disruption of food chains. Here, education on the dangers of water pollution is extremely important, as it helps people apply the right approach when dealing with the environment. Education activities that inform and empower people to help protect water should be encouraged and invested in. Environmental education teaches individuals to weigh the different sides of an environmental issue in order to make informed and responsible decisions. Awareness-raising activities are of great importance for people to take action before contaminating water sources. Water pollution is caused by our undisciplined actions and irresponsibility. We all know that water is so important and we do not want to pollute water. Without water, neither we nor any living thing can survive. Therefore, people should protect, preserve, save and help prevent water pollution. Let us be disciplined and responsible to save, protect and preserve not only water sources but also other natural resources as our nature provides and helps us in our everyday life.
Read Also:
- Prevention Of Water Pollution
- Effects And Control Ways of Water Pollution
- Causes Of Water Pollution
- Introduction To Water Pollution
- Introduction To Air Quality And Pollution Control
- Introduction And History Of Anthropogenic Pollution
- What Is Air Pollution
- Prevention Of Plastic Pollution
- Environmental Effects Of Plastic Pollution
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