The
Problem of Water Pollution
A Water pollution is one of the most pressing
environmental issues facing humankind. It is particularly acute in less
developed countries, where a supply of clean water is far from a given, but is
also becoming more problematic in the developed world, as water scarcity is
starting to increase. The causes of endemic water pollution are not hard to trace;
sewage contamination and chemical pollutants from agriculture or industry are
the main factors, but a host of other things play a part, including the
disposal of everyday household items. Alleviating these pollutants requires both global action from
governments and a behavioural change on the part of the general populace. The
improvement of water quality and the management of water resources must
therefore be both an internationally coordinated effort, and one that filters
down to the individual level. As will become evident, the stakes could not be
higher.
B Access to clean drinking water is fundamental
to human survival, and water pollution is considered by most researchers to be
the most common cause of death and disease worldwide. Scientists have estimated
that the lack of clean water causes 14,000 deaths around the world every single
day. According to UNICEF 4,000 of those deaths are of children under five, due
to faecal contamination of drinking water. In China, around 90 per cent of all water in
cities is contaminated and it was recently reported that half a billion Chinese
people did not have access to safe drinking water. According to the head of China’s national
development agency, some Chinese rivers are reportedly so polluted that
immersing oneself in them will damage the skin. In India and parts of Africa the problem is also severe; around 580
people die every day in India, whilst only 30 per cent of Africans have access
to toilets and only 63 per cent have access to piped water – forcing people to use polluted water sources. These eye-opening figures reveal just
how crucial alleviating water pollution is to the lives of people around the
world.
C Solving the problem of water pollution is
however an increasingly complicated endeavour, particularly since the causes
can be both local and international, and because water resource management is a
problematic issue around the world. Nevertheless, there are several ways in
which water pollution can be alleviated, given the necessary funds and the
political will. One of these is the improved provision of sewage treatment
facilities, which are now able to remove around 90 per cent of the pollutants
from sewage. Most urban centres in the developed world have these facilities,
and if they were extended throughout the developing world they could save
millions of lives. Similarly, industrial wastewater treatment facilities can
remove many of the polluting elements generated by industry. This includes
both conventional pollutants such as oil and grease and toxic pollutants such
as metals and chemicals. Many larger industrial sites now have their own treatment
facilities, but ensuring that this is the case across the board is a challenge
that few countries have been able to surmount.
D The other major polluting agent is
agriculture, which is most damaging to groundwater and surface water. Sediment
which is washed off soil is a major cause of water pollution, as are fertilisers
and other nutrients which can flow into water supplies. In many countries
measures have been put into place to stop this from happening, such as erosion
controls to reduce runoff and nutrient management plans to avoid pollution from
fertilisers. However these normally require legislative action to ensure that
they are universally utilised. A further cause of endemic water pollution is
the action of individuals in the home, which, although not as significant as industrial
or agricultural polluting, is both harder to legislate against and harder to
track. Improper
disposal of household items like cooking oils, paints or any other chemical
products can all be serious pollutants, as can simply not disposing of rubbish
properly. Furthermore, a new form of water pollution has arisen with the use
of certain cosmetic products, which have been cited as a factor in the contamination
of bodies of water in America. Facial scrubs and other cleansers are often made with microbeads,
tiny plastic spheres which are intended to exfoliate. These have started to be
a major pollutant since they enter the plumbing system in their millions,
posing a danger to fish and contaminating water supplies. Microbeads have now
been banned in both the US and the UK, but are still common in many other
countries.
E Everybody can do their bit to alleviate
water pollution in their local area, simply by ensuring that they dispose of
substances properly, follow guidelines for food waste, toiletries and other
cleaning products and recycle, even if doing so is not legally enforced. Conserving as
much water as possible when showering or washing should also be a priority, as
well as using water sparingly in gardening and household cleaning. Avoiding pesticides and other chemical fertilisers, and disposing of
them properly if they have been used is important, as is using environmentally
friendly detergents and bleaches. These are simple measures that everybody
should take, but it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that people
are educated about the costs and benefits of these actions.
F However, it is also vital that governments
act quickly to tackle larger scale pollutants, since reversing the contamination
of bodies of water is an almost impossible process. China has been investing
heavily in improving its sewage and industrial waste treatment facilities, but industrial
accidents such as chemical spills have slowed progress there significantly.
Official projections are for drastic improvements to China’s rivers by 2030,
but whether this is possible remains to be seen. The Chinese government, and
all governments around the world, must act fast before the increasing threat of
climate change, and the worsening problem of water scarcity, further burden
clean water supplies, pushing them towards the point of no return.
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