Essay on Water Pollution – Essay 2 (250 Words)
Introduction:
The consumption of water forms a large part of our physical health. Aside from this obvious fact, water is an important aspect of our ecosystem. However, for water to perform its various functions, it has to be kept pure as contaminated water would lead to adverse environmental and health consequences.
Water pollution is the introduction of foreign material into our water bodies like lakes, streams, rivers or groundwater. This introduction, 9 times out of 10 is usually a result of human interference. Through various activities, sometimes inadvertently, we pollute our ecosystem with toxic materials dumped into our water.
Causes of Water Pollution:
One of the most popular features of water is also the cause of water pollution. Water is a “Universal Solvent” which simply means that it can dissolve almost any substance. Consequently, it is also why toxic substance mixes with water effortlessly. These toxic materials could be from traceable sources such as factories, farms, sewage etc. They are sometimes less traceable sources such as pollution in the air.
Water Pollution Effect on our Environment:
The first organisms that come in contact with polluted water are creatures living in the water. The effect of water pollution on aquatic animals depends on the kind of material introduced into the water. In extreme cases, it can lead to death of aqua species. It can also lead to a serious disrupting of the food chain. Finally, water pollution can lead to serious diseases in humans such as cholera and hepatitis.
Preventive Measures:
While the obvious way to reduce or eliminate water pollution is to stop industrial waste, doing just that and nothing more would not be enough. Preventive measures such as reduction in plastic consumption, controlling leaks in cars, using fewer pesticides or efficient disposal of chemicals would help us go the extra mile.
