Water Pollution

A type of organic pollution can occur when inorganic pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphates accumulate in aquatic ecosystems. High levels of these nutrients cause an overgrowth of plants and algae. As the plants and algae die, they become organic material in the water. The enormous decay of this plant matter, in turn, lowers the oxygen level. The process of rapid plant growth followed by increased activity by decomposers and a depletion of the oxygen level is called eutrophication. 

Thermal Pollution -- Thermal pollution can occur when water is used as a coolant near a power or industrial plant and then is returned to the aquatic environment at a higher temperature than it was originally. Thermal pollution can lead to a decrease in the dissolved oxygen level in the water while also increasing the biological demand of aquatic organisms for oxygen.  

Ecological Pollution -- Ecological pollution takes place when chemical pollution, organic pollution or thermal pollution is caused by nature rather than by human activity. An example of ecological pollution would be an increased rate of siltation of a waterway after a landslide which would increase the amount of sediments in runoff water. Another example would be when a large animal, such as a deer, drowns in a flood and a large amount of organic material is added to the water as a result. Major geological events such as a volcano eruption might also be sources of ecological pollution.  

Specific Sources of Water Pollution  
Farming: 

• Farms often use large amounts of herbicides and pesticides, both of which are toxic pollutants. These substances are particularly dangerous to life in rivers, streams and lakes, where toxic substances can build up over a period of time.  

• Farms also frequently use large amounts of chemical fertilizers that are washed into the waterways and damage the water supply and the life within it. Fertilizers can increase the amounts of nitrates and phosphates in the water, which can lead to the process of eutrophication.  

• Allowing livestock to graze near water sources often results in organic waste products being washed into the waterways. This sudden introduction of organic material increases the amount of nitrogen in the water, and can also lead to eutrophication.  

• Four hundred million tons of soil is carried by the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico each year. A great deal of this siltation is due to runoff from the exposed soil of agricultural fields. Excessive amounts of sediment in waterways can block sunlight, preventing aquatic plants from photosynthesizing, and can suffocate fish by clogging their gills.  
   

Business: 

• Clearing of land can lead to erosion of soil into the river.  

• Waste and sewage generated by industry can get into the water supply, introducing large organic pollutants into the ecosystem.  

• Many industrial and power plants use rivers, streams and lakes to dispose of waste heat. The resulting hot water can cause thermal pollution. Thermal pollution can have a disastrous effect on life in an aquatic ecosystem as temperature increases decrease the amount of oxygen in the water, thereby reducing the number of animals that can survive there.  

• Water can become contaminated with toxic or radioactive materials from industry, mine sites and abandoned hazardous waste sites.  

• Acid precipitation is caused when the burning of fossil fuels emits sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The sulfur dioxide reacts with the water in the atmosphere, creating rainfall which contains sulfuric acid. As acid precipitation falls into lakes, streams and ponds it can lower the overall pH of the waterway, killing vital plant life, thereby affecting the whole food chain. It can also leach heavy metals from the soil into the water, killing fish and other aquatic organisms. Because of this, air pollution is potentially one of the most threatening forms of pollution to aquatic ecosystems. 

Homes: 

• Sewage generated by houses or runoff from septic tanks into nearby waterways, introduce organic pollutants that can cause eutrophication.  

• Fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides used for lawn care can runoff and contaminate the waterway. As with agricultural fertilizers, home fertilizers can lead to the eutrophication of lakes and rivers.  

• Improper disposal of hazardous chemicals down the drain introduce toxic materials into to the ecosystem, contaminating the water supplies in a way that can harm aquatic organisms. 

• Leaks of oil and antifreeze from a car on a driveway can be washed off by the rain into nearby waterways, polluting it.