Water Pollution

Water is something that every human being needs to survive. It is very essential for human life; we cannot live very long without drinking water. Dehydration is actually much worse than food starvation; lack of water will kill organisms much faster. Not only do we need water to drink but also to bathe, cook, and many other things. But if this water we need is polluted it can be very dangerous to us and other species.

Water pollution is a serious issue that is affecting the world. 1.2 trillion Gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste is put into U.S water every year ("npg.org").  This is a lot of junk going into the water that we need to use daily. With the population increasing the demand for water will increase as well. Sixty percent of the most endangered rivers are in states that are experiencing increased population growth that is higher than the nations average ("npg.org") .Those states will eventually develop a huge water crisis. The water pollution is getting so bad that in some areas it is not safe for people or fish to swim. 39% of rivers, 46% of lakes, and 51% of estuaries are too populated for use ("npg.org").

Water pollution is very dangerous for all species.  We need water to live but that same water can harm us. In 2002/2003 pollution in rivers and streams killed 3.5 million fish just in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri ("npg.org").  People become infected with waterborne germs and parasites each year, an estimated 7.1 million mild to severe cases in the U.S. ("npg.org").  In extreme cases water borne diseases can even cause death. 1.8 million deaths annually are due to water borne diseases ("Wikipedia"). “In regions in which over population is an issue and there is a lack of proper sanitation and sewage systems many contract and die from waterborne diseases such as cholera and e coli hence, boiling or not boiling water is the difference between life and death” ("Overpopulation"). Water is something we all need but we must be aware of the dangers of pollution.

Water pollution is something we all can try to control and minimize. The water pollution is due to human actions. Companies, farmers, factories ect. put their waste into the water making it very unhealthy to use. We should all take actions to try to stop the water pollution by letting these companies know the danger they are causing and take actions within ourselves. Water pollution has an effect on all living organisms. As the population increases so will the demand for water. The water we all want and need should be clean and sanitized.

 

 

 

 

Citations

"Effects of Overpopulation: Water and Air Pollution." npg.org. Negative Population Growth. Web. 8 Nov 2012. <http://www.npg.org/factsheets/waterair.pdf>.

"Water Pollution." Overpopulation. Blogger, n. d. Web. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. <http://overpopulationrisks.blogspot.com/p/water-pollution.html>.

 "Waterborne diseases." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 08 2012. Web. 8 Nov 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterborne_diseases>.