For a long time, the problem of water pollution was not acute for most countries. The available resources were sufficient to meet the needs of the local population. With the growth of industry, the increase in the amount of water used by man, the situation has changed dramatically. Now the issues of its purification and preservation of quality are being dealt with at the international level.

Methods for determining the degree of pollution

Water pollution is commonly understood as a change in its chemical or physical composition, biological characteristics. This defines restrictions on further use of the resource. The pollution of fresh waters deserves great attention, because their purity is inextricably linked with the quality of life and human health.

In order to determine the state of water, a number of indicators are measured. Among them:

• chromaticity;
• degree of turbidity;
• smell;
• pH level;
• the content of heavy metals, trace elements and organic substances;
• coli titer;
• hydrobiological indicators;
• the amount of oxygen dissolved in water;
• oxidizability;
• the presence of pathogenic microflora;
• chemical oxygen demand, etc.

In almost all countries, there are supervisory authorities that must, at certain intervals, depending on the degree of importance of a pond, lake, river, etc., determine the quality from the contents. If deviations are found, the reasons that could provoke water pollution are identified. Then steps are taken to eliminate them.

What causes resource pollution?

There are many reasons that can cause water pollution. It is not always associated with human activities or industrial enterprises. Natural disasters that occur periodically in different areas can also disrupt environmental conditions. The most common reasons are considered to be:

• Domestic and industrial waste water. If they do not pass the system of purification from synthetic, chemical elements and organic substances, then, getting into water bodies, they are capable of provoking a water-environmental catastrophe.
• . This problem is not spoken about so often, so as not to provoke social tension. But the exhaust gases that enter the atmosphere after the emissions of road transport, industrial enterprises, along with rains, end up on the ground, polluting the environment.
• Solid waste, which can not only change the state of the biological environment in the reservoir, but also the flow itself. Often this leads to flooding of rivers and lakes, obstruction of the flow.
• Organic pollution associated with human activities, natural decomposition of dead animals, plants, etc.
• Industrial accidents and man-made disasters.
• Floods.
• Thermal pollution associated with the production of electricity and other energy. In some cases, water is heated up to 7 degrees, which causes the death of microorganisms, plants and fish, which require a different temperature regime.
• Avalanches, mudflows, etc.

In some cases, nature itself is able to clean up water resources over time. But the period of chemical reactions will be long. Most often, the death of inhabitants of reservoirs and pollution of fresh water cannot be prevented without human intervention.

The process of moving pollutants in water

If we are not talking about solid waste, then in all other cases, pollutants can exist:

• in a dissolved state;
• in a balanced state.

They may be droplets or small particles. Biocontaminants are observed in the form of live microorganisms or viruses.

If solid particles get into the water, they will not necessarily settle to the bottom. Depending on the current, storm events, they are able to rise to the surface. An additional factor is the composition of the water. In the sea, it is almost impossible for such particles to sink to the bottom. As a result of the current, they easily move over long distances.

Experts draw attention to the fact that due to the change in the direction of the current in coastal areas, the level of pollution is traditionally higher.

Regardless of the type of pollutant, it can enter the body of fish that live in a reservoir, or birds that are looking for food in the water. If this does not lead to the direct death of the creature, then it can affect the further food chain. There is a high probability that this is how water pollution poisons people and worsens their health.

The main results of the impact of pollution on the environment

Regardless of whether the pollutant enters the body of a person, fish, animal, a protective reaction is triggered. Some types of toxins can be neutralized by immune cells. In most cases, a living organism needs help in the form of treatment so that the processes do not become serious and do not lead to death.

Scientists determine, depending on the source of pollution and its influence, the following indicators of poisoning:

• Genotoxicity. Heavy metals and other trace elements are ways to damage and change the structure of DNA. As a result, serious problems are observed in the development of a living organism, the risk of diseases increases, etc.
• Carcinogenicity. The problems of oncology are closely related to what kind of water a person or animals consumes. The danger lies in the fact that a cell, having turned into a cancer cell, is able to quickly regenerate the rest in the body.
• neurotoxicity. Many metals, chemicals can affect the nervous system. Everyone knows the phenomenon of the release of whales, which is provoked by such pollution. The behavior of sea and river inhabitants becomes inadequate. They are not only able to kill themselves, but also begin to devour those who were previously uninteresting to them. Getting into the human body with water or food from such fish and animals, chemicals can provoke a slowdown in the reaction of the brain, destruction of nerve cells, etc.
• Violation of energy exchange. By acting on mitochondrial cells, pollutants are able to change the processes of energy production. As a result, the body ceases to carry out active actions. Lack of energy can cause death.
• reproductive insufficiency. If water pollution causes the death of living organisms not so often, then it can affect the state of health in 100 percent of cases. Scientists are especially concerned that their ability to reproduce a new generation is being lost. Solving this genetic problem is not easy. Requires artificial renewal of the aquatic environment.

How does water control and treatment work?

Realizing that pollution of fresh water endangers human existence, government agencies at the national and international levels create requirements for the implementation of enterprises and people's behavior. These frameworks are reflected in the documents regulating the procedures for water control and the operation of purification systems.

There are the following cleaning methods:

• Mechanical or primary. Its task is to prevent large objects from entering the reservoirs. To do this, special gratings and filters are installed on the pipes through which the drains flow. It is required to clean the pipes in a timely manner, otherwise the blockage can cause an accident.
• Specialized. Designed to capture pollutants of a single type. For example, there are traps for fats, oil slicks, flocs, which are deposited with the help of coagulants.
• Chemical. It implies that wastewater will be reused in a closed cycle. Therefore, knowing their composition at the outlet, they select chemicals that are able to return water to its original state. Usually this is technical water, not drinking water.
• Tertiary cleaning. In order for water to be used in everyday life, agriculture, and in the food industry, its quality must be impeccable. To do this, it is treated with special compounds or powders that are capable of retaining heavy metals, harmful microorganisms and other substances in the process of multi-stage filtration.

In everyday life, more and more people are trying to install powerful filters that eliminate pollution caused by old communications and pipes.

Diseases that dirty water can provoke

Until it became clear that pathogens and bacteria can enter the body with water, humanity was faced with. After all, epidemics observed periodically in a particular country claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

The most common diseases that bad water can lead to include:

• cholera;
• enterovirus;
• giardiasis;
• schistosomiasis;
• amoebiasis;
• congenital deformities;
• mental anomalies;
• intestinal disorders;
• gastritis;
• skin lesions;
• mucous burns;
• oncological diseases;
• decrease in reproductive function;
• endocrine disorders.

The purchase of bottled water and the installation of filters is a means of preventing diseases. Some use silver items, which also partially disinfect the water.

Water pollution has the power to change the planet and make the quality of life completely different. That is why the issue of water conservation is constantly raised by environmental organizations and research centers. This makes it possible to draw the attention of enterprises, the public, and government agencies to existing problems and stimulate the start of active actions to prevent a catastrophe.

Water pollution is a decrease in its quality as a result of various physical, chemical or biological substances entering rivers, streams, lakes, seas and oceans. Water pollution has many causes.

Wastewater

Industrial effluents containing inorganic and organic waste are often discharged into rivers and seas. Every year, thousands of chemicals enter water sources, the effect of which on the environment is not known in advance. Hundreds of these substances are new compounds. Although industrial effluents are pre-treated in many cases, they still contain toxic substances that are difficult to detect.

Domestic wastewater containing, for example, synthetic detergents ends up in rivers and seas. Fertilizers washed off the soil surface end up in drains leading to lakes and seas. All these reasons lead to severe water pollution, especially in closed lake basins, bays and fjords.

solid waste. If there is a large amount of suspended solids in the water, they make it opaque to sunlight and thus interfere with the process of photosynthesis in water basins. This in turn causes disturbances in the food chain in such pools. In addition, solid waste causes silting up of rivers and shipping channels, resulting in the need for frequent dredging.

Eutrophication. In industrial and agricultural wastewater that enters water sources, the content of nitrates and phosphates is high. This leads to a supersaturation of closed reservoirs with fertilizing substances and causes an increased growth of the simplest algae microorganisms in them. Blue-green algae grows especially strongly. But, unfortunately, it is inedible for most species of fish. Algae growth causes more oxygen to be taken from the water than can be naturally produced in it. As a result, the WPC of such water increases. Biological wastes, such as wood pulp or untreated sewage, entering the water also increase the WQD. Other plants and living beings cannot survive in such an environment. However, microorganisms that can decompose dead plant and animal tissues multiply strongly in it. These microorganisms absorb even more oxygen and form even more nitrates and phosphates. Gradually, in such a reservoir, the number of plant and animal species is significantly reduced. The most important victims of the ongoing process are fish. Ultimately, a decrease in oxygen concentration as a result of the growth of algae and microorganisms that decompose dead tissues leads to the aging of lakes and their waterlogging. This process is called eutrophication.

A classic example of eutrophication is Lake Erie in the United States. For 25 years, the nitrogen content in this lake has increased by 50%, and the phosphorus content by 500%. The reason was mainly the ingress of domestic wastewater containing synthetic detergents into the lake. Synthetic detergents contain a lot of phosphates.

Wastewater treatment does not give the desired effect, since it allows you to remove only solids from the water and only a small proportion of the nutrients dissolved in it.

Toxicity of inorganic waste. The discharge of industrial wastewater into rivers and seas leads to an increase in the concentration of toxic heavy metal ions, such as cadmium, mercury and lead. A significant part of them is absorbed or adsorbed by certain substances, and this is sometimes called the process of self-purification. However, in enclosed pools, heavy metals can reach dangerously high levels.

The most famous case of this kind occurred in Minamata Bay in Japan. Industrial wastewater containing methylmercury acetate was discharged into this bay. As a result, mercury began to enter the food chain. It was absorbed by algae, which ate shellfish; fish ate shellfish, and fish was eaten by the local population. The mercury content of the fish was found to be so high that it led to birth defects and deaths in children. This disease is called Minamata disease.

Of great concern is also the increase in nitrate levels observed in drinking water. It has been suggested that high levels of nitrates in water can lead to stomach cancer and cause increased infant mortality.

However, the problem of water pollution and its unsanitary condition is not limited to developing countries. A quarter of the entire Mediterranean coast is considered dangerously polluted. According to a 1983 United Nations Environment Program report on the pollution of the Mediterranean Sea, eating shellfish and lobster caught there is unsafe for health. Typhus, paratyphoid, dysentery, poliomyelitis, viral hepatitis and food poisoning are common in this region, and outbreaks of cholera occur periodically. Most of these diseases are caused by the discharge of raw sewage into the sea. It is estimated that 85% of waste from 120 coastal cities is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea, where tourists and locals swim and fish. Between Barcelona and Genoa, approximately 200 tons of waste is dumped per mile of coastline per year.

Pesticides

The most toxic pesticides are halogenated hydrocarbons such as DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls. Although DDT has already been banned in many countries, it still continues to be used in other countries, and approximately 25% of the amount of this substance used reaches the sea. Unfortunately, these halogenated hydrocarbons are chemically stable and not biodegradable. Therefore, they accumulate in the food chain. DDT can destroy all life on the scale of entire river basins; it also discourages bird breeding.

oil leak

In the US alone, there are approximately 13,000 oil spills each year. Up to 12 million tons of oil enter the sea water every year. In the UK, more than 1 million tons of used engine oil is poured into the sewers every year.

Oil spilled into seawater has many adverse effects on marine life. First of all, birds die - drowning, overheating in the sun or deprived of food. Oil blinds animals living in the water - seals, seals. It reduces the penetration of light into closed water bodies and can increase the temperature of the water. This is especially detrimental to organisms that can only exist in a limited temperature range. Oil contains toxic components, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, which are detrimental to some forms of aquatic life, even at concentrations as low as a few parts per million.

O.V. Mosin

Pollution is the introduction of pollutants into the natural environment that cause adverse changes. Pollution can take the form of chemicals or energy such as noise, heat or light. Pollution components can be either foreign substances/energy or natural pollutants.

The main types and causes of environmental pollution:

Air pollution

Coniferous forest after acid rain

Smoke from chimneys, factories, vehicles, or from burning wood and coal makes the air toxic. The effects of air pollution are also obvious. The release of sulfur dioxide and dangerous gases into the atmosphere causes global warming and acid rain, which in turn increase temperatures, causing excessive rainfall or droughts around the world, and making life difficult. We also breathe every polluted particle in the air and as a result, the risk of asthma and lung cancer increases.

Water pollution

It caused the loss of many species of flora and fauna of the Earth. This was due to the fact that industrial wastes discharged into rivers and other water bodies cause an imbalance in the aquatic environment, which leads to serious pollution and death of aquatic animals and plants.

In addition, spraying insecticides, pesticides (such as DDT) on plants pollute the groundwater system. Oil spills in the oceans have caused significant damage to water bodies.

Eutrophication in the Potomac River, USA

Eutrophication is another important cause of water pollution. Occurs due to untreated sewage and fertilizer runoff from the soil into lakes, ponds or rivers, due to which chemicals enter the water and prevent the penetration of sunlight, thereby reducing the amount of oxygen and making the reservoir uninhabitable.

Pollution of water resources harms not only individual aquatic organisms, but the whole, and seriously affects people who depend on them. In some countries of the world, due to water pollution, outbreaks of cholera and diarrhea are observed.

Soil pollution

soil erosion

This type of pollution occurs when harmful chemical elements enter the soil, usually caused by human activities. Insecticides and pesticides absorb nitrogen compounds from the soil, after which it becomes unsuitable for plant growth. Industrial waste, and also adversely affect the soil. Because plants cannot grow as they should, they are unable to hold the soil, resulting in erosion.

Noise pollution

This pollution occurs when unpleasant (loud) sounds from the environment affect a person's hearing and lead to psychological problems, including tension, high blood pressure, hearing loss, etc. It can be caused by industrial equipment, aircraft, cars, etc.

Nuclear pollution

This is a very dangerous type of pollution, it occurs due to failures in the operation of nuclear power plants, improper storage of nuclear waste, accidents, etc. Radioactive contamination can cause cancer, infertility, loss of vision, birth defects; it can make the soil infertile, and also adversely affects the air and water.

light pollution

Light pollution of planet earth

Occurs due to noticeable over-illumination of the area. It is common, as a rule, in large cities, especially from billboards, in gyms or entertainment venues at night. In residential areas, light pollution greatly affects people's lives. It also interferes with astronomical observations by making the stars almost invisible.

Thermal/thermal pollution

Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes the temperature of the surrounding water. The main cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a refrigerant by power plants and industrial plants. When water used as a refrigerant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the change in temperature reduces the supply of oxygen and affects the composition. Fish and other organisms adapted to a particular temperature range can be killed by sudden changes in water temperature (or rapid increases or decreases).

Thermal pollution is caused by excess heat in the environment creating unwanted changes over long periods of time. This is due to the huge number of industrial enterprises, deforestation and air pollution. Thermal pollution increases the Earth's temperature, causing drastic climate change and extinction of wildlife species.

Visual pollution

Visual pollution, Philippines

Visual pollution is an aesthetic problem and refers to the effects of pollution that impair the ability to enjoy the outside world. It includes: billboards, open dumps, antennas, electrical wires, buildings, cars, etc.

Overcrowding of the territory with a large number of objects causes visual pollution. Such pollution contributes to distraction, eye fatigue, loss of identity, and so on.

plastic pollution

Plastic pollution, India

Includes the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that have adverse effects on wildlife, animal or human habitats. Plastic products are inexpensive and durable, which has made them very popular among people. However, this material decomposes very slowly. Plastic pollution can adversely affect soil, lakes, rivers, seas and oceans. Living organisms, especially marine animals, become entangled in plastic waste or are affected by chemicals in plastic that cause interruptions in biological function. People are also affected by plastic pollution, causing a hormonal imbalance.

Objects of pollution

The main objects of environmental pollution are such as air (atmosphere), water resources (streams, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans), soil, etc.

Pollutants (sources or subjects of pollution) of the environment

Pollutants are chemical, biological, physical or mechanical elements (or processes) that harm the environment.

They can be harmful both in the short and long term. Pollutants originate from natural resources or are produced by humans.

Many pollutants have a toxic effect on living organisms. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an example of a substance that harms humans. This compound is taken up by the body instead of oxygen, causing shortness of breath, headache, dizziness, heart palpitations, and in severe cases can lead to serious poisoning, and even death.

Some pollutants become hazardous when they react with other naturally occurring compounds. Nitrogen and sulfur oxides are released from impurities in fossil fuels during combustion. They react with water vapor in the atmosphere to form acid rain. Acid rain adversely affects aquatic ecosystems and leads to the death of aquatic animals, plants, and other living organisms. Terrestrial ecosystems also suffer from acid rain.

Classification of pollution sources

According to the type of occurrence, environmental pollution is divided into:

Anthropogenic (artificial) pollution

Deforestation

Anthropogenic pollution is the impact on the environment caused by the activities of mankind. The main sources of artificial pollution are:

• industrialization;
• the invention of automobiles;
• the growth of the world's population;
• deforestation: destruction of natural habitats;
• nuclear explosions;
• overexploitation of natural resources;
• construction of buildings, roads, dams;
• the creation of explosive substances that are used during military operations;
• use of fertilizers and pesticides;
• mining.

Natural (natural) pollution

Eruption

Natural pollution is caused and occurs naturally, without human intervention. It can affect the environment for a certain period of time, but it can be regenerated. Sources of natural pollution include:

• volcanic eruptions, with the release of gases, ash and magma;
• forest fires emit smoke and gas impurities;
• sandstorms raise dust and sand;
• decomposition of organic matter, during which gases are released.

Consequences of pollution:

environmental degradation

Left photo: Beijing after the rain. Right photo: smog in Beijing

The environment is the first victim of atmospheric pollution. An increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere leads to smog, which can prevent sunlight from reaching the earth's surface. As a result, it becomes much more difficult. Gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide can cause acid rain. Water pollution in terms of an oil spill can lead to the death of several species of wild animals and plants.

Human health

Lung cancer

Decreased air quality leads to some respiratory problems, including asthma or lung cancer. Chest pain, sore throat, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease can be caused by air pollution. Water pollution can create skin problems, including irritation and rashes. Similarly, noise pollution leads to hearing loss, stress and sleep disturbance.

Global warming

Male, the capital of the Maldives, is one of the cities facing the prospect of being flooded by the ocean in the 21st century.

The release of greenhouse gases, especially CO2, leads to global warming. Every day new industries are created, new cars appear on the roads, and the number of trees is reduced to make room for new homes. All these factors, directly or indirectly, lead to an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere. Rising CO2 causes the polar ice caps to melt, which increases sea levels and endangers people living near coastal areas.

Ozone layer depletion

The ozone layer is a thin shield high in the sky that prevents ultraviolet rays from reaching the earth. As a result of human activity, chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons are released into the atmosphere, which contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Badlands

Due to the constant use of insecticides and pesticides, the soil can become infertile. Various types of chemicals from industrial waste end up in water, which also affects soil quality.

Protection (protection) of the environment from pollution:

International protection

Many of these are particularly vulnerable as they are subject to human influence in many countries. As a result, some states unite and develop agreements aimed at preventing damage or managing human impact on natural resources. They include agreements that affect the protection of the climate, oceans, rivers and air from pollution. These international environmental treaties are sometimes binding instruments that have legal consequences in case of non-compliance, and in other situations are used as codes of conduct. The most famous include:

• The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), approved in June 1972, provides for the protection of nature for the present generation of people and their descendants.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed in May 1992. The main goal of this agreement is "stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system"
• The Kyoto Protocol provides for the reduction or stabilization of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. It was signed in Japan at the end of 1997.

State protection

The discussion of environmental issues often focuses on the level of government, legislation and law enforcement. However, in the broadest sense, the protection of the environment can be seen as the responsibility of the whole people, and not just the government. Decisions that affect the environment will ideally include a wide range of stakeholders, including industrial sites, indigenous groups, representatives of environmental groups and communities. Decision-making processes in the field of environmental protection are constantly evolving and becoming more active in different countries.

Many constitutions recognize the fundamental right to protect the environment. In addition, in various countries there are organizations and institutions dealing with environmental issues.

While protecting the environment is not simply the responsibility of government agencies, most people consider these organizations paramount in creating and maintaining basic standards that protect the environment and the people who interact with it.

How to protect the environment yourself?

Population and technological advances based on fossil fuels have seriously affected our natural environment. Therefore, now we need to do our part to eliminate the consequences of degradation so that humanity continues to live in an ecologically safe environment.

There are 3 main principles that are still relevant and important more than ever:

• use less;
• reuse;
• recycle.

• Create a compost heap in your garden. This helps to recycle food waste and other biodegradable materials.
• When shopping, use your eco-bags and try to avoid plastic bags as much as possible.
• Plant as many trees as you can.
• Think about how you can reduce the number of trips you make with your car.
• Reduce car emissions by walking or cycling. These are not just great alternatives to driving, but also health benefits.
• Use public transport whenever you can for your daily commute.
• Bottles, paper, waste oil, old batteries and used tires must be properly disposed of; All this causes serious pollution.
• Do not pour chemicals and used oil onto the ground or down drains leading to waterways.
• If possible, recycle selected biodegradable waste, and work to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste used.
• Reduce the amount of meat you consume or consider a vegetarian diet.

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Among the most important problems facing us, a special place is occupied by water pollution in Russia and around the world. Without this liquid, the existence of life as such is impossible. A person can live without food for up to 100 days, but without water he will last no more than 10 days. And this is not surprising. After all, water is a significant part of the human body. It is known that it is she who makes up more than 60% of the body of an adult.

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Main sources of hydrosphere pollution

All sources of water pollution in the world can be divided into two categories:

1. natural;
2. anthropogenic.

Natural sources of water pollution

Natural pollution of the hydrosphere is caused by the following reasons:

• volcanic activity;
• washing out of coastal soil;
• excretion of waste products of organisms;
• the remains of dead plants and animals.

Volcanic eruption in the Hawaiian Islands

Ways to solve the problem nature has determined for itself, without outside help. There are natural water purification mechanisms that have been operating flawlessly for thousands of years.

We know that there is a water cycle. Moisture evaporates from the surface of water bodies and enters the atmosphere. In the process of evaporation, water is purified, which then falls into the soil in the form of precipitation, forming groundwater. A large part of them again ends up in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. Part of the precipitation enters water bodies immediately, bypassing intermediate stages.

As a result of such a cycle, water returns in a purified form, so the environmental problem of water pollution is solved by itself.

Human water pollution

We can say that people pollute water more than all other living organisms combined. The consequences of water pollution are detrimental to the entire environment. The harm caused daily by man to the aquatic environment is comparable only to a catastrophe on a global scale. That is why it is impossible to pollute the hydrosphere, and solving the problem of pollution of the aquatic environment is a paramount task.

The consequences of pollution of water bodies are such that now almost all the water present in one form or another on the planet cannot be called clean. Human water pollution falls into three categories:

1. industrial;
2. agricultural;
3. household.

Water pollution by industrial enterprises

Pollution of the hydrosphere is steadily increasing. However, in recent years there has been a trend towards its reduction.

Human water pollution can be primary or secondary. In the primary, harmful substances have a direct negative effect on the human body, flora or fauna. Secondary pollution is considered to be water pollution that is not directly related to a harmful substance that has entered the hydrosphere. Water pollutants cause the extinction of organisms and cause an increase in the number of animal or plant remains, which are also sources of water pollution.

Water pollution kills fish

Types of pollution

There are five main types of hydrosphere pollution:

1. chemical;
2. biological;
3. mechanical;
4. radioactive;
5. thermal.

Discharges of pollutants in wastewater

Why is hydrosphere pollution dangerous for living organisms

Water pollution and its consequences pose a serious threat to the health and life of the organisms inhabiting our planet. There are the following types of such influence:

• neurotoxic;
• carcinogenic;
• genotoxic;
• failure of reproductive function;
• energy disruption.

Neurotoxic effects

Heavy metal poisoning of the nervous system can harm the nervous system of humans and animals and cause mental disorders. They can cause inappropriate behavior. Such pollution of water bodies can cause unreasonable aggression or suicide of its inhabitants. For example, many cases are known when, for some unknown reason, whales were washed ashore.

About 200 black pilot whales have washed up on land near Cape Farewell in the north of the South Island of New Zealand

Carcinogenic effect

Drinking contaminated water is a cause of cancer. Under the influence of toxic substances, absolutely healthy cells of the body are able to degenerate into cancer cells, causing the formation of malignant tumors.

Genotoxicity of water pollutants

The genotoxic properties of pollutants lie in the ability to disrupt the structure of DNA. This can cause serious diseases not only in a person whose body has got harmful substances, but also adversely affect the health of his descendants.

Reproductive Disorders

It often happens that toxic substances do not lead to death, but still cause the extinction of a population of living organisms. Under the influence of dangerous impurities contained in the water, they lose their ability to reproduce.

Violations of energy exchange

Some water pollutants have the ability to inhibit the mitochondria of body cells, resulting in a loss of the ability to produce energy. The consequences of water pollution can be such that many of the life processes of the inhabitants of water bodies slow down or stop, even to death.

What diseases threaten drinking water pollution

Polluted water can contain pathogens that cause the most dangerous diseases. In order to understand what the danger of pollution of water bodies is and what they can lead to, we briefly list some of these diseases:

• cholera;
• oncology;
• congenital pathologies;
• burn of mucous membranes;
• amoebiasis;
• schistosomiasis;
• enterovirus infection;
• gastritis;
• psychical deviations;
• giardiasis.

Cholera epidemic in Haiti

The danger of this situation began to be realized not only by specialists, but also by ordinary residents. This is evidenced by the increase in demand for purified bottled and bottled water around the world. People buy such water to ensure that dangerous pathogens do not enter the body.

Water purification

The main culprit of chemical water pollution is industrial activity. Although water is most actively polluted by industrial enterprises that actively discharge harmful substances into nearby water bodies. It may contain the entire periodic table. In addition to the release of chemical elements, thermal and radiation pollution occurs. The problem of sewage safety is given catastrophically little attention. All over the world, you can count on the fingers of manufacturers that completely clean their effluents, making them safe for the environment.

The discharge of a number of pollutants as part of wastewater was often carried out without an approved permit for the discharge of pollutants into the environment.

This is not due to the negligence of the management, but because of the extreme complexity of the cleaning technology. That is why it is impossible to pollute water bodies. After all, it is easier to prevent pollution than to organize cleaning.

Wastewater treatment plants partially help to solve the problem of pollution. Regardless of the cause of pollution, there are the following types of water treatment:

In general, there are ways to solve the problem.

The problem of water pollution and its solution at the state and global level

World statistics indicate a rapid increase in water consumption. The main reasons for this are the rapid development of production and the growth of the world's population.

For example, in the United States, the daily consumption of water is 3600 billion tons. Back in 1900, Americans needed 160 billion liters a day. Now the country is facing the need to clean up and reuse water resources.

Western Europe has already stepped over this threshold. For example, water taken from the Rhine is reused up to 30 times.

It is no longer possible to significantly reduce water consumption, because for this it will be necessary to reduce production and abandon many of the benefits of civilization. Pollution factors also influence, because the volume of water suitable for consumption is reduced. Therefore, more attention should be paid to maintaining the purity of water resources.

The problem is common to all mankind, because the movement of water masses does not know state borders. If in one country they do not take care of the purity of water resources, which is why the World Ocean is polluted, the ecology of our planet suffers from this.

Pollution of the oceans with plastic waste. Plastic waste sailed from densely populated areas of the continental coast as a result of dumping

The state of water in Russia worries the public no less than all over the world. And here our country has no disagreements with the rest of the world community. After all, it is possible to save water resources only by joint efforts.

Human existence without clean drinking water is impossible. Unfortunately, today there is such a situation that the number of clean sources on Earth is significantly reduced. Now the shortage of clean drinking water is replenished with the help of various water treatment equipment, but the forecast of scientists is rather pessimistic - in a few decades, polluted waters on Earth will prevail.

If we turn to scientific terms, then water pollution is a change in its chemical and physical state, as well as its biological properties, which leads to unsuitability for consumption. For any type of use, water changes its state: when heated, it changes physical properties, when delivered to consumers, chemical properties, even if it has previously passed through.

Toxic substances enter the aquatic environment from natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Natural sources of water pollution- this is the destruction of rocks, volcanic activity, the release of waste products of various organisms that live in water bodies. Man also contributes to water pollution as a result of economic activities. Its impact on natural ecosystems has been compared to a natural disaster. This is explained by the fact that all the water bodies of the planet are changing too quickly over the past few years, with natural processes such changes occur over hundreds of years.

The intensive development of agricultural and industrial production and population growth are anthropogenic sources of pollution. Agricultural, domestic and industrial wastewater is discharged into water bodies, as a result of which the composition of water changes. Anthropogenic sources of water pollution can be divided into primary and secondary. In the first case, the quality of water deteriorates due to the ingress of pollutants.

In the second case, an excessive concentration of waste products of aquatic animals and their remains appears, which is caused by a violation of the ecological balance. Let's list the main sources of water pollution:

• river transport;
• river rafting;
• industrial domestic waste water;
• runoff from livestock complexes;
• drainage water from irrigated lands;
• runoff from the territories of industrial sites, territories of settlements and agricultural fields;
• storm sewer;
• global transfer;
• solid runoff from lands that have lost their fertile layer.

The World Health Organization offers a different classification:

• bacteria, various viruses and other pathogens;
• decomposing organic matter absorbed by the oxygen in the water. They bring to the appearance of an unpleasant odor, worsen the taste of water and have a detrimental effect on fish stocks;
• inorganic salts that cannot be removed by conventional methods. These substances make the water unsuitable for drinking and irrigation;
• organic salts that enhance the growth of aquatic vegetation and cause flowering of reservoirs.

They turn into organic matter during photosynthesis and are deposited at the bottom of the reservoir. Pollution of water bodies with toxic substances is very dangerous for human health. They represent a direct and indirect danger through animals that live in water bodies.

Experts put it all together sources of water pollution and identified three main categories, each of which, in the presence of modern facilities, still pollutes both surface and groundwater (wells and artesian wells). Let's take a closer look at these categories.

Settlements

Even in the most modern settlements, the main household waste is sewage. Each person uses approximately 750 liters of water daily for drinking, cooking, hygiene purposes, as well as for watering lawns, washing streets, fighting fires, and so on.

Industry

The main consumers and pollutants are enterprises of various industries in countries with developed industrial production. The amount of wastewater they emit is three times the amount of domestic wastewater.