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Daniel Koger
Mrs. Chambers
12th American Lit
21 November 2014
Water pollution is a growing issue throughout the world, and not too much is being done
to correct this problem. Polluting in any type of water is extremely harmful to the environment
and human health. Technology is constantly growing an improving, and this makes it easier to
detect more pollution and determine the worst and most polluted areas in the world. Many
families are directly affected by polluted water, and some have even experienced death of family
members linked to the water they have consumed. Our survival is dependent on clean and safe
drinking water and the cornerstone for a prosperous community. Various chemicals are dumped
into aquatic areas and many of them are lethal or have the capability to cause extreme health
complications. Water efficiency needs to increase along with protecting and preserving our
ecosystems and clean water. Several water resources are without basic protection, and are easily
exposed to pollution from industrial plants along with factory farms. It is paramount to protect
ecosystems and freshwater areas from pollution because there are so many other species that rely
on clean water for their survival and not just the human race. Ocean resources are threatened by
the pressure of human coastal take over. The amounts of marine species are rapidly reducing and
fisheries are falling apart. Many laws are put in place to protect aquatic ecosystems and clean
water supply and restrict dumping and polluting these areas, but not many people abide by these
laws. Pollution is harmful because it can lead to health issues to humans and can harm wildlife
and ecosystems.
Water pollution is dangerous because there are numerous homes that have contaminated
drinking water. Many families are directly affected by polluted water and some have even
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experienced death of family members linked to the water they have consumed. No one should
live in fear about if they can drink the water that runs throughout their home. Families that live in
areas with polluted freshwater sources do their best to stay away from water produced by their
local towns because they know how harmful it can be. “Jennifer Hall-Massey knows not to drink
the tap water in her home near Charleston, W.Va.”(Russell). People can get internet and digital
cable in their homes but it is still a struggle to get clean and consumable water. Even though laws
are out in place for this specific reason it seems to be constantly ignored and neglected. Polluted
areas contaminate freshwater sources and if it is not caught in time then whole towns and cities
could be without a water source. Various chemicals are dumped into aquatic areas and many of
them are lethal or have the capability to cause extreme health complications. Many large
companies that do illegally dump have a complete disregard for laws set in place because there
are not many people that reinforce these laws and this needs to change. If there were people or
agencies to act on the crimes being committed then pollution would have a massive decrease and
certain towns that suffer from this issue would not have to worry about if it is safe or not to drink
the water or bathe in the water that runs through their homes. Since people will continue to
thoughtlessly and uncaringly break the laws specifically set in place to protect their health and
the health of the environment that people live in, there needs to be action taken against them and
law enforcement to prevent people from doing this careless act that will only do harm. Who
knows, it could potentially save a life.
The problem with water pollution going into freshwater ecosystems and sources for
household water is that it destroys these areas and leaves the world with fewer sources for
useable water. Freshwater is very important to protect for many reasons such as only 2.53
percent of the water on earth is fresh and close to two thirds of that fresh water is frozen in
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glaciers or in permanent snow. “Beyond synthetic pollution, freshwater is also the end point for
biological waste, in the form of human sewage, animal excrement, and rainwater runoff flavored
by nutrient-rich fertilizers from yards and farms” (National). It is incredibly simple for pollutants
to make their way to large bodies of water whether it is fresh water areas or ocean bodies. People
dump materials down their drains and flush them down their toilets and do not realize these
pollutants find their way through river systems and end up into seas and lakes threatening aquatic
life and potential consumable water. In numerous countries that are still being developed close to
seventy percent of industrial wastes are dumped without being treated into waters and this
pollutes the majority of the usable water supply. Many cities are starting to find ways to alter the
way runoff water flows and use it as a resource to cool urban environments and provide several
opportunities for other ecosystems. This is a very small start that cities have approached but it is
a very miniscule effect on the environment because it is a very small portion of the world that is
finding alternatives. Much more needs to be done to have a significant effect on the environment
and many habits need to change all around the world otherwise the future repercussions could be
detrimental.
An important dilemma with pollution is that it is destroying a great deal of clean water
sources that the human race relies on to survive. It is such a key factor to survive, yet we are
heading towards a water crisis. Millions of people die each year from diseases they contracted by
drinking contaminated water with numerous toxins in it yet people still dump and pollute into
clean water sources without a care in the world. “Dirty water is the world’s biggest health risk,
and continues to threaten both quality of life and public health in the United States” (Water).
When runoff water finds its’ way into rivers and other nearby bodies of water it picks up toxic
chemicals, dirt, trash, bacteria, and various disease-carrying organisms before it reaches these
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bodies of water and carries it into these areas along with it. Several water resources are without
basic protection, and are easily exposed to pollution from industrial plants along with factory
farms. Contamination of drinking water, beach closures, and deterioration of habitats can result
from not properly protecting these aquatic resources. Even though the Clean Water Act was
established it is not reinforced. People still dump because they can easily get away with it and no
agency goes out to reinforce the laws set in place to make sure this does not happen. All
important waterways need to be protected and surveyed and new pollution limits need to be
established for the major problem areas. Humans are obviously not the only species that require
clean water as a portion of survival so it is vital to make sure that there is enough flowing water
to keep the ecosystem unimpaired and operating properly.
A major complication with polluting water is that clean water is a limited resource that
can easily become contaminated and so much of it already is. Water shortages are common
throughout the world but are not too common but what is extremely common all over the world
is lack of access to water that is clean and safe to consume. There is an estimated 1.1 billion
people throughout the world who lack access to improved water which is just water that is
marginally treated. There is close to 2.4 billion people who do not have admittance to proper
sanitation. An incredible amount of people attract life ending diseases and parish as a result from
these awful diseases because of all the bacteria that is contained in this untreated and
contaminated water. The majority of these deaths come from poor and undeveloped countries
that do not have the correct resources to prevent this epidemic. “Fresh water supplies are also
reduced by pollution and wastes. Already, a large number of people lack safe drinking water-a
problem that causes a high rate of infection from water-related diseases in many developing
countries” (Introduction). Technology has had a massive improvement and could easily solve the
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problem of clean and safe drinking water in developing countries and reduced the amount of
deaths related to consumption of contaminated water. There are copious ways to prevent and get
rid of contaminated water and many systems that can be executed to guide contaminants and
toxins away from clean water sources.
Pollution is harmful because it can lead to health issues to humans and can harm wildlife
and ecosystems. Millions of deaths are reported every year and are linked to contaminated
drinking water. Wildlife habitats are constantly being threatened and are struggling to survive
because of the lack of clean and consumable water. Water pollution is dangerous because there
are numerous homes that have contaminated drinking water. There have been families who have
lost loved ones all due to a shortfall of clean water and consumption of water filled with toxins
when they thought they were safe to drink it. Certain families who have dealt with traumatic
incidents like this just do their best to avoid water produced by their city. The problem with
water pollution going into freshwater ecosystems and sources for household water is that it
destroys these areas and leaves the world with fewer sources for useable water. There are many
ways to prevent pollution if bodies of water were properly protected and surveyed by law
enforcement to make sure no one is polluting waters and causing harm to any ecosystem. An
important dilemma with pollution is that it is destroying a great deal of clean water sources that
the human race relies on to survive. The human race relies on clean water to survive because it is
a necessity that the body has to have to function properly. It is such a valuable resource but often
undermined and not cared for. Fresh water needs to be protected from all the people who do not
realize how much damage they cause when they pollute these pivotal areas. A major
complication with polluting water is that clean water is a limited resource that can easily become
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contaminated and so much of it already is. Fresh water needs to be protected because out of all
the water in the world only a fraction of it is safe, clean, and consumable water.
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Works Cited
"Introduction to Endangered Oceans: Opposing Viewpoints." Endangered Oceans. Ed. Louise I.
Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 20 Nov. 2014
"National Geographic Freshwater 101: Pollution." National Geographic. National Geographic,
n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.
Russell, Karl. "Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering." Nytimes.com.
Nytimes, 13 Sept. 2009. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.
"Water." Pollution Facts, Effects of Pollution, Clean Act. Nrdc.org, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.