Our seawater as well as our freshwater gets contaminated with different kinds of toxins and plastics. The quality of our drinking water gets threatened by the many pollutants and contaminations and this threatens our health and economy. Because we contaminate the rivers we also contaminate our sea resulting in a disruption of our ecosystems and contaminating our seafood.

Types of water pollution location:
- Groundwater Pollution
- Surface Water Pollution

Types of water pollution causes:
- Suspended Matter
- Oil Spillages
- Microbiological Pollution
- Chemical Water Pollution
- Thermal Pollution
- Oxygen-Depletion Pollution

Water pollutions explained

Groundwater pollution

Groundwater is below the earth's surface (aquifers). The key source of pollutants is agriculture. Fertilizers and Pesticides are easily absorbed into the ground or transported as runoff during rainfall. Groundwater can also get contaminated when waste from landfills and septic systems leaches into the ground. Groundwater does not reach any sunlight because it is underground. Some organisms or substances break down because of UV however that is not possible in groundwater. Therefore it is important to always test groundwater before using or drinking it.

Surface water

Surface water consists of all the water bodies that are above the surface of the earth for example Oceans, rivers, lakes, etc. Any hazardous substance that comes in contact with surface water is called surface water pollution. Surface water pollution can occur in three different ways:

Naturally: flooding or tsunamis that pick up any hazardous substances
Accidentally: Oil spills and agriculture runoff
Intentionally: Industries dumping waste directly into water

Types of surface water pollution explained

Suspended matter

Particulate or suspended matter pollution is any man-made material like Plastics or rubber that is improperly disposed of and cannot be broken down easily. Suspended material does 2 things when they are disposed of in surface water

Sink to bottom: When the particulate matter is disposed of in surface water it can sink to the bottom and release toxic chemicals that damage and threaten marine life. The toxic chemicals that are released also threaten the safety of our drinking water.
Float to the surface of water preventing sunlight from penetrating the water below which also will result in the death of many plants because they cannot surface without sunlight which has an effect throughout the whole food chain and ecosystem.

When the particulate matter breaks down even more into smaller particles like [Plastics | Microplastics] it threatens the survival of marine life animals as well as plants.

Oil Spillage

Water can be polluted by oil spills, transportation, runoff or international dumping. Oil spillage has devastating effects and is difficult to remove. 1 Liter of oil can pollute 1 million litres of water. 12% of all oil water pollution is from oil spills. The rest is from shipping/transporting, draining and pumping oil. Onze oil enters the water it spreads over the surface preventing sunlight and oxygen to go through making it difficult or even impossible for plants to photosynthesize and suffocate marine life. The oil also smothers the feathers of birds preventing them from flying and exposing them to ingestion of oil by catching fish.

Microbiological pollution

Microbiological pollution is naturally occurring water pollution. It comes from microorganisms like bacteria, viruses and protozoa that can cause waterborne diseases such as cholera. This type of water pollution is common in areas where people drink untreated water. Microbiological polluted water can cause serious illnesses therefore having adequate drinkwatersystems plays an important role in eliminating microbiological pollution. Microbiological pollution can also kill fish and other aquatic organisms. For example, harmful algae blooms play an important role in Eutrophication.

Chemical water pollution

The most common type of water pollution is chemical water pollution. Industries use chemicals that can end up in oud water systems. Chemical pollution consists of many different chemicals. For instance metals, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals used in pest control companies. Chemical water pollution hurts humans, livestock and fish that live in that environment. Chemical water pollution is very toxic to aquatic life, inhibiting their growth, affecting reproduction or even causing death.

Mercury as chemical pollutant

An example of chemical water pollution that is now forming a threat to human health as well as mercury in fish. Mercury was and is always a chemical that will be in fish and in the ocean. However, more recently the amount of mercury has increased in the waters and in the fish as well. If humans eat fish with mercury contamination, humans will get contaminated as well. The reason why there is more mercury in the ocean and in fish is because of human-caused pollution due to industrial activity. For instance, coal-fired electricity generation, smelting and incineration of wast. This will result in more airborne mercury and eventually water. Mercury is a bioaccumulation chemical which means it will build up in the tissue of an organism. The higher up a food chain an organism is, the more mercury it will have in its body. Meaning that if humans eat fish that consist of a lot of mercury due to our own industry, we get contaminated as well and store the mercury in our tissue. Exposure to mercury in fetuses can cause neurological conditions.

Thermal pollution

Heat is considered a type of water pollution. warmer water means less oxygen which refers to the dissolved oxygen eleven (DO) decreases. Thermal pollution increases fish metabolisms and damages larvae and eggs in the rivers. The main cause of thermal pollution is power plants dumping cooling water in rivers and oceans. Besides the dumping of cooling water in rivers and oceans, climate change and global warming are also caused by thermal pollution.

Oxygen depletionpollution

Oxygen depletion is the consequence of Eutrophication where the anaerobic organisms produce toxic ammonia. The anomia forms a danger for human and aquatic life and a good example of an oxygen-depleting process is Eutrophication.

Water pollutants: