6. Sources of water pollution-I

You can see polluted water bodies all around you if you look around. You can observe many unwanted and hazardous stuff thrown into them, such as waste and sewage. These substances are called Pollutants. These pollutants are produced by a variety of activities that come from a variety of sources.

 

Generally, sources of water pollution are classified into natural and man-made sources. The following are some of the sources of water pollution.

 

Water pollution is caused mainly by household and cleaning detergents. Synthetic (non-biodegradable) detergents contain chemicals that do not decompose, causing harm to both surface and groundwater. Small, round pieces of plastic have been put into some shampoos, face washes, shower gels and toothpaste. These are called microbeads. They are added for scrubbing and cleaning your skin, polishing your teeth, etc. When we use microbead containing items, they end up in our drains, polluting waterways. Fish and other animals accidentally feed them, causing them to become ill.

 

Domestic sewage is wastewater that is disposed of by houses. Domestic sewage should be cleaned before being dumped into bodies of water such as rivers and lakes. Sewage that has not been cleaned contains contaminants such as organic materials from food waste, harmful compounds from household items and disease-causing microbes.

 

Solid garbage, including plastics, is dumped or washes up in bodies of water like lakes, rivers and the ocean. Plastics clog drains, allowing diseases like malaria and dengue fever to spread. Waste in water bodies negatively impacts aquatic life.