WATER TYPE POLLUTION
1. Point-source pollution/ Nonpoint- source pollution
Point-source pollution is a pollution that is caused by one thing or has come from one site. A leak in
the sewage system or drainage of bad water could be a type of Point-source solution. Non-point
source pollution is a pollution that is caused by many things together. This kind of pollution goes to
the body of water by runoff. Runoff is when water flows down into a larger body of water and is
taking everything such as soil, sediments, etc. with it. The main things or examples that caused this
type of pollution to happen are street gutters, fertilizers, eroded soils, etc. Point- source pollution is
easier to control than nonpoint-source pollution with the fact that point-source pollution is only
caused by one factor.
Here are the pictures of the point source pollution. The picture on the right was taken in Bank
Erosion at Cannon Greek.
Here are the pictures of the nonpoint-source pollution. The picture on the right was taken in
Deutsch Wassererosion in Maisfeld.
2. Dissolved oxygen, oxygen depletion, and thermal pollution
There is dissolved oxygen in the water so fish and other marine animals can breathe. If the level of
oxygen is under 4.0, animals may die as there is less oxygen. Things such as animal waste, sewage,
fertilizer runoff, etc. can lessen the amount of dissolved oxygen. When temperature increases or
thermal pollution occurs, the amount of oxygen lessens too. This is because there is more oxygen in
water during cool weathers. Decaying materials that end up in water may also lesson the amount of
oxygen. It causes microorganisms to appear using up all the oxygen and producing harmful toxins.
This is harmful to both marine life and humans.
Here are the pictures for thermal pollution and oxygen depletion. The second picture on the left is
from Westport, Kentucky the Ohio River. The second picture on the right is from Texas, USA.
3. Nitrate pollution
Nitrates are an element that is made by the compounds of nitrogen and oxygen. When there is little
nitrate in the water nothing will happen but a large amount of it can be harmful to living things in
the ocean. It may also cause a decrease in dissolved oxygen. Animal wastes and fertilizers
underground are the main causes of nitrate pollution.
Here are the pictures of Nitrate pollution. The picture on the right is a Nitrate drainage ditch in
Suffolk, England.
4. Alkalinity/ Chemical/ Surface water pollution
Alkalinity is the way people maintain the amount of acids in water. Acids with a PH below 6.0 can be
very harmful. Industries and farmers also use chemicals that are made of metals and solvents which
often end up in water harming the animals. Sometimes chemical water can fall into the water and as
it is very acidic, marine life may be harmed. Surface water pollution is when we humans pollute the
water by throwing trash in it. Plastic bags are super harmful to turtles as turtles eat them thinking
that they are jellyfish. Sometimes the things we throw into the water may sink inside the ocean floor
killing marine animals or marine animals will eat it, getting killed. Throwing trash with chemicals in it
can also be very harmful to marine life. Polluting the water also makes the world look bad and the
environment not clean. It causes a lot of problems so we should stop doing this kind of things.
Here is a picture of Alkalinity and Surface water pollution. The last picture is sewage, surface,
Shillong dump India.
5. Nutrients pollution
Things such as fertilizers, wastewater, and sewage contain a lot of nutrients which is harmful for the
organisms living in the water. Nutrients make algae and weed grow which makes the water
undrinkable. The amount of weed growing may also lead filters being clogged. An alga usually uses a
lot of oxygen in the water once they are grown. This will be a huge problem for organisms under
water as they need oxygen too. They may be harmed and before long, they will also die. Clogged
filters also create a lot of problems for us as we may get little or no water to drink. The amount of
water we get might not be enough and they might even be a drought. All this may lead to very bad
causes.
Here are the pictures of Nutrients pollution. The picture on the right is nutrient pollution from
Mississippi river going to Gulf of Mexico.
6. Microbiological
Sometimes they are microorganisms living in the water that can be harmful to humans who drink
the water and other marine life living in it. Some of these microorganisms are viruses, bacteria, and
protozoa. If humans drink water with these microorganisms, they will be seriously ill and they will
have very little chance of living. They might even get diseases or viruses in them. They will have to go
to the doctor as soon as possible to get treated. The best way to avoid this from happening is avoid
drinking or swimming in water that is black or is flooded. You should never really drink any water
outside in rivers or lakes unless you know it is safe and have gotten information that it is fresh. You
never know what might be in there as the microorganisms are so small and you can’t see it unless
you use a microscope.
Here are pictures of Microbiological pollution. The picture on the right is from EPA New England
Regional Laboratory (Office of Environmental Measurement and Evaluation).
7. Oil spillage
In my opinion, oil spillage is the worst kind of water pollution. Even though it only spills in one
specific area, the spills spread very fast killing thousands of fish and other marine life. None of the
animals are left alive since the oil is very toxic, acidic, and harmful to marine life. If oil spills or get
caught on a seabird’s wing, they may lose the ability to fly. The most common kinds of oil spills are
when the gasoline leaks from a ship or when the ship sinks. Oil spills also cause a large explosion
harming humans also. It may even cause a small fire to occur in water. Sometimes people may also
accidently spill oil in the water too. They have been many cases of oil spillage around the world
killing and injuring thousands of marine life and people.
Here are pictures of BP oil spillage. The picture on the right is from Deep-water Horizon, located at
the Gulf of Mexico.
8. Groundwater pollution
A large amount of Earth’s water is found under rock structures known as aquifers. Aquifers are often
found in caves or someplace underground. The water there is fresh unlike other places. Aquifers are
basically storage of fresh water. People often drink water from aquifers but it is getting polluted by
highly toxic chemicals and pesticides from farming. This kind of pollution affects mostly humans
because we need water to drink. It may also affect animals and plants from all around the world as
they need water to drink too. Water is very important to everything around the world and without
water there is no life. People use a lot of water to do a lot of things in every moment of life.
Here are some pictures of groundwater pollution. The picture on the right is from Noraiakheda
which is one of the areas in Kanpur, Northern India.
9. Suspended Matter
When pollutants don’t dissolve in water, they are called particulate matters. These particles will
form fine silts under the water and stay there. It will harm the animals by taking away their nutrients
and habitats. It may even kill marine life. This will also cause microorganisms to come back and the
toxic will harm the marine animals even more. Microorganisms are like bacteria viruses and they
reproduce really quickly. If you drink that water by mistake, you may get seriously harmed. You may
also get a disease as shown above when talking about microbiological. Microorganisms may also kill
or even harm some marine life or organisms too.
Here are the pictures of Suspended Matter. The picture on the right is from Tasmania, Australia.
10. Sediments
Sediments such as sand, soil, minerals, and silt are often eroded from the land and are washed into
the water causing another kind of pollution. Sediment is caused by something called erosion which is
deposited into the water. This whole thing is connected to the idea, weathering of rocks. This kind of
pollution reduces the sunlight needed to reach plants inside the water. Plants are the organisms that
make food for the marine life, so without sunlight, animals won’t be able to get food and they will
die. Without plants, nothing is possible- underwater or outside the world. Plants provide us with
everything needed and also help us breathe. They take in carbon dioxide and let out oxygen. There
are marine life, people, animal, etc. only because of the jobs plants do. Sediments also clog the gills
of some marine animals such as fish and smother other marine animals such as oyster.
Here are the pictures of sediments. The picture on the right is from Fisheries and Oceans Canada Habitat Management.
Citations
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"What Are the Various Types F Water Pollution?" What Are the Various Types F Water
Pollution? N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.
"Basic Types of Water Pollution." Basic Types of Water Pollution. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb.
2013. <http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/types-of-water-pollution.html>.
Burande, Abhay. "Different Types of Water Pollution." Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 28 Sept.
2011. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-waterpollution.html>.
"Types of Water Pollution?" WikiAnswers. Answers, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.
<http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Types_of_water_pollution>.
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