The Main Causes and Effects of Water Pollution (Essay Sample)

The Main Causes and Effects of Water Pollution
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The Main Causes and Effects of Water Pollution.
Water is a resource that is extremely sensitive to contamination. Water pollution happens due to the proliferation of chemicals that dissolve in water. Water contamination is caused primarily by point and non-point sources. When water becomes contaminated, it has catastrophic effects on human health and the environment. Given this startling revelation, water pollution is a weighty topic worth addressing since it can be curtailed, and its consequences are catastrophic to the natural world.
Leading Causes of Water Pollution.
The foremost causes of water contamination are point sources. Point sources pollute water because they emanate from a single source. Sewerage discharge and effluents are two examples of point sources. When untreated sewage is dumped into waterways, it contaminates the water. When toxic and dangerous waste is discharged into water sources, it causes industrial water pollution
Non-point sources are yet another form of water contamination. Non-point sources are those that do not emanate from a centralized point. Human activities such as extensive fertilizer and pesticide overuse and mining operations are examples of non-point sources. Excessive chemical and pesticides usage pollute water sources because they are transported away by rains. (Sharma & Singhvi, 2017) Non-point source pollution is difficult to regulate since it stems from many different people's everyday routines.
Effects of Water Pollution
Contaminated water has ramifications for both human health and the ecosystem. Polluted water breeds microorganisms that produce waterborne illnesses detrimental to human health. According to Okpara, over 1 billion people become ill every year due to contaminated water (Okpara et al., 2010). Polluted water al