The harmful effects of water pollution on humans and the 6 most important causes
The harms of pollution The harms of water pollution to humans are many and serious, but water is the secret of life and through it it continues, so we must raise awareness of these harms, not ignore them, and reduce water pollution in various ways.
In this article, we will discuss the most important causes of water pollution and the seriousness of its impact on humans.
But what is water pollution, and how do we decide if water is polluted or not?
What is water pollution?
There is no specific and fixed definition of water pollution, but the most popular definition is any change in the natural properties of water , such as taste, color, or smell, that makes it unsuitable for some or all uses.
Water pollution may result in it becoming cloudy or emitting an unpleasant odor, and in other cases it may not show any clear signs indicating the presence of water pollution.
It may be due to chemicals, bacteria, or radiation.
We will explain this in detail later. Now, what are the standards by which we can measure water quality?
Criteria that indicate the presence of water pollution
Now that we know what water pollution is, we can say that the standards for measuring water pollution vary according to use. For example, water suitable for bathing and cleaning the house may not be suitable for drinking and cooking.
Water is considered polluted and unfit for human use according to two main criteria:
Biometrics
The presence of living organisms in the water, such as fish, indicates the cleanliness of the water and the absence of pollutants in it, as marine organisms cannot coexist in the water if it has a high percentage of pollution.
Chemical standards
This method depends on measuring the percentage of chemicals present in the water by analyzing water samples. If some chemicals are found in high concentrations, the water is considered polluted.
What are the harmful effects of water pollution on humans?
One of the most important reasons for the harmful effects of water pollution on humans is that it contains many types of bacteria, viruses and parasites.
It usually results from insufficient water treatment, or from sewage leakage, or from animal and bird waste, the most famous of which are:
Bacterial diseases
- Bacillary dysentery is caused by Shigella bacteria.
- Gastroenteritis and typhoid fever, caused by salmonella bacteria.
- Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholera.
- Inflammation of the intestine caused by Escherichia coli bacteria (E.coli).
- Intestinal tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium.
- Stomach inflammation and cancer caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria (H.pylori).
Viral diseases
There are many types of viruses that may be found in polluted water, the most common of which are:
- Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV).
- Polio is caused by the polio virus.
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome, caused by the SARS virus.
- The coxsackie virus causes sore throat, fatigue, and loss of appetite, and may cause inflammation of the heart muscle, hepatitis, fever, colic, and respiratory problems.
Diseases caused by protozoa
- Giardia intestinalis infection.
- Amoebic dysentery.
- diarrhea.
- Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).
Causes of water pollution in the Arab world
After we mentioned the harms of water pollution to humans, you may have now realized that water pollution is one of the most dangerous current threats facing the world, especially the Arab world, due to the terrifyingly high rates of water pollution in recent times.
Especially with the decrease in the proportion of fresh water, as a result of climate change, and rapid and continuous population growth, and thus the increase in the rate of urban growth.
Now we will review together the most prominent causes of water pollution, according to the classification of the “Environmental Law Society in the United Kingdom” as follows:
- Sewage pollution: This is sewage produced from residential, industrial and commercial facilities, which is discharged without treatment, and of course contains a huge percentage of bacteria and harmful substances.
- Oil pollution: Every year, a huge amount of oil, estimated at half a million tons, leaks from factories and farms into the seas, destroying marine life and the stability of the ecosystem.
- Agricultural pollutants: Getting rid of pesticides that contain many harmful elements, such as: nitrogen and phosphorus in the water.
- Waste: The disposal of household waste, factory waste and radioactive waste every year leads to huge amounts of water in rivers and seas, destroying fish and marine organisms.
Solve the problem of water pollution
The harms of water pollution to humans lie in the serious diseases it causes, which we mentioned in detail before, and it is responsible for the death of more than two million people worldwide, as studies indicate.
In addition, water pollution has a huge impact on economic growth, as it has reduced economic growth by a third in some places, according to a 2019 study by the World Bank.
Pollution includes all water sources on the surface of the Earth, including rivers, seas, oceans, and groundwater.
Therefore, everyone should be aware of the necessity of using a water purifier for the home .
Likewise, the efforts made to reduce the harm of water pollution to humans can be divided into community efforts carried out by the state, and individual efforts contributed by members of society.
Efforts of countries to solve the problem of water pollution
- Sewage water treatment
Because sewage pollution is one of the most common causes of water pollution, countries have decided to solve this problem by treating wastewater by passing it through several channels to remove harmful substances from it.
The clean water resulting from this technology is used for irrigation and agriculture, in order to reduce fresh water consumption.
Not only that, I was able, using the latest technologies, to extract natural fertilizer from wastewater, to use it inside factories as a source of fuel.
Improving irrigation and agricultural practices
Farmers dispose of agricultural waste, including huge amounts of chemicals and waste, in the seas and rivers.
To reduce this phenomenon, countries have worked to determine the types of pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture, as well as the timing of their spraying.
It also built insulators around agricultural land along water bodies, to limit the leakage of harmful waste into the water.
Reducing the dumping of plastic waste into the water
Plastic waste in sea and river water poses a serious danger to human life and marine organisms alike.
To reduce the harm of plastic and its impact on the environment, some countries have done the following:
- Issuing laws to prevent the use of single-use plastic containers.
- Replace them with multi-use containers.
- It also works to recycle it.
Rain water treatment
When rainwater falls, it sweeps pollutants from the streets into the drains and then into the rivers on its way.
Rainwater can be treated in developed countries in several ways, such as: sand filtration, oxidation, and electrical loss.
Individual efforts to solve the problem of water pollution
If you are well aware of the harms of water pollution to your health and the health of future generations, and you have the intention and desire to contribute to reducing the harms of water pollution to the human body.
You can do many practices, such as:
- Avoid throwing garbage in or near bodies of water.
- Use reusable plastic products.
- Do not dispose of cooking oils, motors, fats, and toxic chemicals in sinks and toilets, so as not to cause blockage of sewage pipes and pollution of waterways.
- Limit the use of detergents and chemicals, to avoid their leakage into water bodies and killing marine organisms.
In conclusion - dear reader - always remember the famous saying, “Do not be extravagant even if you are on a flowing river.” A drop of water is more precious than a drop of gold. Do not pollute the water, and be sure to provide clean water for your family, to avoid diseases and enjoy a healthy life.