Environment

Water Pollution: Understanding, Causes, and Impacts

Water is a source of life that is on Earth. As one of the planets in the Solar System, the Earth has a massive water content. Even when viewed from outer space, we will find the blue color on Earth tends to be more present than the other colors. This indicates that the waters are wider and more abundant than the land on Earth.

Definition of Water Pollution

Many types of natural resources are provided by nature on this Earth. There is water, sunlight, land, air, and so forth. One of the most important natural resources is water. But these natural resources are not always available in clean condition. Along with improved technology as time goes by, polluted natural resources are found anywhere.

Water contaminated by pollutants is known as water pollution. Water pollution is a change in conditions in places that become reservoirs of water such as rivers, kinds of lakes, kinds of seas, reservoirs, swamps, etc. that are caused due to excessive human activity. Of course, this pollution can cause harm to many parties.

Causes of Water Pollution

Water is basically a natural resource that is very pure and originated from the Earth. Polluted water is no longer clean because it has been contaminated by various kinds of waste materials, as well as other chemicals. Then, what is the major cause? The following are some things that can cause water pollution:

  1. Rubbish

The first cause of water pollution is garbage. Garbage is a common cause and often occurs in various places. The waste which is called waste material is piled up in a place. Then, the place is intentionally used as a land to dispose garbage. When this waste accumulates in a very large amount, this will cause a variety of losses. In addition when rain falls, it washed away the chemical from the rubbish pile causing dirty water to exist.

Then the dirty water will flow to the water source and will contaminate it. In addition, the case of a waste which is disposed of directly to a water source will also cause water pollution.

  1. Use of Explosives

The thing that triggers water pollution is the use of explosives to catch fish. Such things are usually carried out by irresponsible fishermen. It can affect the marine life, not only fish but also other marine animals along with marine plants.

  1. Natural Causes

Besides chemicals and human activities, water pollution can also caused by various natural factors. Natural factor that causes water pollution such as metabolic waste from living things that are directed to the sea. The high level of nutrition or the content of organic ingredients as a result of digestive metabolism will result in eutrophication.

  1. Gas produced by vehicle

Motorized vehicles also play a role in the formation of water pollution, not just air pollution. Motor vehicles that cause toxic fumes every day, when released into the air will result in contact with water and will turn into mild corrosive acids such as hydrochloric acid or sulfate. After that, water will drop to Earth as a form of acid rain.

Acid content then seeps through the soil and will mix with groundwater. This contaminated groundwater will then be used for consumption needs.

(Also read: 13 Effects of Ocean Acidification on Aquatic Organisms)

Those are some things that can cause water pollution. In addition to objects that have been mentioned, there are still many other objects and activities that will cause water pollution. We also sometimes forget or do not realize that our activities can also pollute water.

Impact of Water Pollution

Everything on Earth if contaminated with pollutants will certainly have a variety of negative impacts, including water pollution; various effects of this water pollution include the following:

  1. Reducing Clean Water Reserves

This impact is a definite impact due to water pollution. In addition, water pollution reduce the stock of clean water in Earth. This certainly will be very troublesome and also detrimental to many parties, especially humans themselves.

  1. Disrupting the Balance of the Water Ecosystem

Water pollution will also disrupt the balance of the water ecosystem. However, water is the main and most prominent component of the aquatic ecosystem. In a water ecosystem, water is home to a variety of biotic components, so that if the water flow into each houses is polluted, this will cause an ecosystem imbalance.

  1. Causing Erosion, Floods, and Landslides

Water pollution will also cause various natural events or disasters. Disasters that have the potential to arise due to water pollution included erosion, flooding, and landslides. It is because the contaminated soil will cause many plants to die. And when plants die, automatically natural disasters will occur. Among the natural disasters that will occur are erosion, landslides, and floods.

Those are some of the effects of water pollution. After knowing a lot of impacts, we should be more careful in maintaining water.

Water Benefits

We should acknowledge that we can live without water. Humans and other living things really need water to meet their needs. Water plays an important role in human and other living things’ body.

Even humans and animals can endure hunger for several days but not the thirst. If humans and other living things do not drink for several days, they will die. Those explain how important water for our body.

Besides that, water also has many other benefits. We will not be able to mention the full benefits of water for human life and nature because they are a lot. Some of the benefits of water that we can feel naturally include the following:

  1. As a Basic Need

Water as a basic necessity has been explained previously that humans and other living things desperately need fluids to fill their body’s needs. The fluid that will fill the body’s needs can be obtained from water by drinking it. So that we can feel refreshed and focus in everything we do.

  1. Water as a Secondary Need

If we are asked what the primary function of water is, of course, the answer is to fulfill our body needs. But what is the other function of water? Actually what is meant by the secondary function is the function of water in everyday life. They can be used for bathing, washing, watering plants, brushing teeth, cooking, cleaning furniture, and cleaning up the remnants of dirt.

  1. Maintain a Healthy Body

The function of water is to maintain the health of the body. There are many benefits of water for health. The most important benefit is as a dehydration remover, increasing concentration levels, increasing endurance, overcoming constipation, treating heartburn, increasing blood circulation, preventing strokes and heart attacks, treating thrush cough, and so on.

  1. Maintain Beauty

Water is also very useful for maintaining one’s beauty. It can maintain skin moisture so our skin will look more healthy and youthful. If we compare people who drinks lots of water and others who don’t, Of course, we will see many differences. People who like to drink water will look healthier and fresher than people who do not. The skin of a person who drinks water will also look smoother and certainly far from wrinkles.

  1. As an Important Factor for Photosynthesis

Water is also one of the daily needs for photosynthesis. Plants will not be able to carry out photosynthesis if there is no water. We all know that photosynthesis is a process of plants for eating. When plants do not carry out photosynthesis, they do not eat. As a result, the plant will eventually wither and die.

And we can imagine what will happen if plants die. Of course, we will find it difficult, the supply oxygen in the air will obviously decrease, good groundwater will quickly run out, causing floods, landslides, and so forth. This is why water is needed for plants.

  1. Many Animals Die

It is not just humans and plants that need water to survive. Animals do too. They need lots of fluids to maintain their body’s function, just like humans. Therefore, water is also very much needed for living things.

Countless benefits are obtained from water in everyday life. In fact, we will not be able to mention it one by one because there are plenty of it. The benefits mentioned above are only a small part of water functions.

Widiya

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