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Essay on Water Pollution: Water pollution is a topic of great environmental concern in today’s context. Water is a rare resource, much essential for life on earth. It is not only water that is essential but it also must be clean and safe to use. Polluted and contaminated water is good for nothing and is also hazardous to use or consume. The main causes of water are human-induced and include activities like industrialization, agricultural activities, improper waste disposal, etc.
Short and Long Essay on Water Pollution
We have provided below short and long essays on water pollution in English for your knowledge and information. After going through the essays, you will know what water pollution is and what are its main causes; how to stop water pollution; water pollution prevention etc. These essays will be helpful in your school/college assignments of essay writing, speech giving or paragraph writing, etc.
Water Pollution Essay 100 Words – Sample 1
Water Pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies and underground resources of water by any of the several human activities or natural causes. Human activities like, urbanization, industrialization, deforestation, waste disposal, landfills are primarily responsible for water pollution.
Some of the natural causes responsible for water pollution are volcanoes and debris from floods. Another natural cause of water pollution is algae bloom. The term “algae” is used to refer to a large and diverse group of photosynthetic organisms. Algae bloom means an increase in the population of algae in a water body, consequently resulting in its discoloration and contamination.
Water Pollution Essay 150 Words – Sample 2
The term “Water Pollution” is used when a water body like a river, lake, ocean, etc is polluted due to human activity or a natural cause. Today, water pollution has become a major environmental concern and needs to be responsibly dealt with.
Fresh water is very scarce on the planet and pollution is making it even scarcer. Every year we lose millions of liters of freshwater to industrial and other types of pollution. Pollutants consist of visible small and big pieces of garbage as well as invisible, harmful and toxic chemicals.
The visible impurities can be easily removed from a water body by manual cleaning or filtration, but the chemical pollutants are more hazardous and difficult to remove. Chemicals get mixed into water and change its properties, making it harmful to use and life-threatening.
It is only through sincere individual and collective efforts, that we can overcome the problem of water pollution and prevent a severe water crisis in future.
Water Pollution Essay 200 Words – Sample 3
Water Pollution is a matter of environmental concern as well as life and health of all living species. For a population of 7.8 billion growing at a rate of 82 million every year we have very little freshwater.
Only 2.5% of all the water available on earth is freshwater that we use for our daily needs. But, human’s desire to expand boundaries and explore commercial avenues have put stress on our freshwater resources, making them polluted as never before.
Many industries are set up near water bodies and use freshwater to carry industrial waste to the nearby water bodies. This industrial waste is toxic in nature and poses a health hazard to the flora and fauna. People in the settlements in the vicinity of polluted water bodies are observed to be suffering from serious skin, respiratory and sometimes even life-threatening other ailments.
Other the main cause of water pollution is urban waste and sewage. Every household produces tons of waste annually, consisting of plastic, wood, chemicals, and other compounds. In the absence of a proper waste disposal mechanism, this waste reaches our water bodies like rivers, lakes, streams and pollutes them. Water pollution must be prevented if we want the earth to be green, healthy and filled with life.
Water Pollution Essay 250 Words – Sample 4
Water is an essential resource for life on earth. Without water, or to be more specific, without clean and safe water, life on earth would be unimaginable. You may think that we still have plenty of water with it constituting 97.5% of the total volume of earth. But, there is a catch – that 97.5% is salt water that is found mainly in oceans; the water we do not use for our daily needs.
The remaining percentage, that is, only 2.5% is freshwater what we use. Moreover, only 0.3% of that 2.5% is the water found on the surface of the earth. To be more specific, the total volume of water on earth is 1,386,000,000 Km3, out of which only 10,633,450 Km3 is freshwater. Leaving very less freshwater for a population of 7.8 billion as on December 2019 and every year 82 million people are being added to that figure. On the other hand, the volume of freshwater used by the world population took centuries to be produced and thus it can’t be afforded to be polluted at any cost.
If the pollution of water continues as it is today, within a couple of decades we could face an acute water crisis. Then we might be left with no option but only to regret what we have done. There is still time and things can be normalized if we take action today. Whether it is an individual action or a collective one, an action to conserve water and prevent its pollution is the need of the day.
Water Pollution Essay 300 Words – Sample 5
Introduction
Water Pollution occurs when external pollutants enter the otherwise clean and safe natural water resources. Due to the growing human intervention and expansion of urban settlements, water pollution has become a painful reality today.
Water Pollution Sources
The sources of water pollution are many and almost all of them are generated due to human activities. Industries emit millions of gallons of toxic smoke and material waste which is left directly into the air, water bodies and natural resources. Most of such waste from the industries are left directly into the water bodies without any kind of treatment. Most of the industrial waste is toxic in nature and in turn, increases the toxicity of the water it reaches.
Also, the domestic waste that is generated every day in the millions of households around the world contains waste plastic materials, chemicals, oils, metals, etc. Most of the households lack a proper waste disposal mechanism and mostly the waste is directly dumped into the environment.
How to Stop Water Pollution
Water pollution could be prevented considerably by making people aware of its causes and its effects on life and the planet. People must take part in cleaning campaigns wherein a group or community takes up the task of cleaning the water bodies every weekend or at least once in a month.
Moreover, strict laws need to be formed and strictly implemented with the objective of eliminating water pollution. Strict monitoring could prevent people and organizations from polluting and will improve accountability as well.
Conclusion
Water pollution today has become a topic of hot debate and concern for environmentalists and scientists. It threatens the future of all the living species on the planet earth. Water is an essential commodity to live added by the fact that only 2% of the water on earth is fresh water that we use. We can’t afford to pollute it further and must take steps for the reversal of the damage that we have already done.
Water Pollution Essay 350 Words – Sample 6
Introduction
Water Pollution refers to the introduction of pollutants into our water bodies. These pollutants are primarily generated by human-induced activities and pose a threat to our natural water resources.
Water Pollution Prevention
There are several things one could do to prevent water pollution. Some of them are simple enough to be taken by an individual while some require collective efforts. However, the efforts need to be repeatedly done in order to preserve our natural water resources. Some of the implementable ways to prevent water pollution are given below-
Keep your drain free of Contaminants and Chemicals.
An average household generates all kinds of waste including chemicals, disposed medicines, and other hazardous compounds. We must take care while disposing of our household waste and ensure that any such waste didn’t reach the sewage system.
Prevent use of Polythene
Polythene bags are widely used today in every household. They are light, could carry heavyweight, and easy to store. But polythene bags constitute a major threat to water resources. The polythene that we dispose of our houses, finds its way into the water bodies. Being non-biodegradable, it just lays there, polluting water and making it toxic.
Conserve Water
Always try to conserve water while doing your daily activities, whether it’s cooking, shaving, bathing, gardening or cleaning, etc. Water conservation can also be achieved by repairing all the faulty taps in your house and locality as well.
Reuse and Recycle
Much of the waste that we generate in houses could be reused and recycled if only we make a little effort for it. Wastes like automobile oil are disposed into the drain and easily reach into rivers and streams. This is really hazardous to the purity of water and also to the life of organisms that live in water. On the other hand, automobile oil can be reused for several other lubrication purposes.
Conclusion
Water pollution today has become a cause of great concern for human health as well as the environment. Water is an essential commodity without which life can’t be imagined. It is the duty of all to take steps for keeping water pollution-free and also to conserve it, for a healthy future of the planet.
Water Pollution Essay 400 Words – Sample 7
Introduction
Water Pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies like rivers, lakes, ponds and oceans. It is caused when the pollutants generated by human activities like industrialization, urban waste, littering, etc., enter our water bodies and pollute them.
Types of Water Pollution
As water comes from many sources, there are many types of water pollution. The most common types of water pollution are described below.
- Agricultural/Nutrients Pollution
Some of the waste water and agricultural waste contain high nutrients levels. These nutrient-rich contaminants cause algae growth, making the water unfit for drinking and other purposes. Algae use the oxygen content in water making oxygen scarce for other organisms, resulting in their death.
- Sewage and Waste Water
Sewage and waste water from urban settlements is rich in various soluble and non-soluble impurities like mercury, plastic, rotten food, debris, chemicals etc. When these pollutants reach water bodies, some of them float over the surface while some sink at the bottom. The soluble impurities change the composition of water as well. This is a dangerous situation for all the living organisms in the water body.
- Oxygen Depletion
Any water body contains several microorganisms including aerobic and anaerobic organisms. When the biodegradable waste reaches into the water bodies and decays, it encourages the growth of more microorganisms, consequently using more oxygen, in turn, depleting the oxygen level.
- Pollution of Ground Water
Use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers pollute the groundwater resources. The chemicals get mixed with soil and are soaked into the ground with rain, reaching the underground water reserve. This contaminated water reaches our wells and other sources of water, making its consumption harmful.
Prevention of Water Pollution
Water Pollution can be prevented by taking these simple steps –
- Don’t pour down fat or oil in your kitchen sink.
- Avoid improper disposing of harmful chemicals and other contaminants.
- Never let unused or expired medicines reach the house drainage system.
- Segregate the waste as solid, liquid, degradable and non-degradable and ensure its proper disposal.
- Avoid using pesticides and chemical fertilizers as much as you can.
Conclusion
Water pollution is a growing environmental concern which depletes one of our very essential natural resources. It is only through great determination and political will that we can succeed in saving water from getting contaminated.
Water Pollution Essay 500 Words – Sample 8
Introduction
Water Pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies, primarily due to human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, ponds, oceans and underground water resources. Water Pollution occurs when waste from industrial and other sources enter into the water bodies, resulting in the contamination of water, moreover, it is also harmful to aquatic life as well as to humans.
Causes of Water Pollution
Water is an essential natural resource and very useful for life on earth. Causes of water pollution are many and always include human activities. The various causes of water pollution are given below-
- Urban Sewage: The sewage from urban settlements is usually treated with chemicals and then released into the water bodies after mixing with fresh water. Most of the time, the sewage is not treated and is left into the water bodies. It contains harmful, bacteria and pathogens, which is extremely harmful to aquatic life and to humans as well.
- Industrial Waste: Large amount of toxic waste is produced by the industries. Industrial waste includes pollutants such as mercury, lead, sulfur, asbestos, and nitrates. These chemicals are not only harmful to flora and fauna but also render the water unfit to use. Due to the absence of a proper waste management system, many industries still dump harmful waste in natural water resources.
- Garbage Dumping: Common household garbage contains plastic, food, wood, paper, rubber, aluminum, etc. This garbage is directly dumped into oceans and rivers or else reaches them indirectly and takes a couple of years to centuries to degrade. In both cases, it pollutes the water bodies and threatens marine life as well as the life of flora and fauna over the adjoining lands.
- Oil Spills: Oil is non-soluble in water and being lighter in density, floats over it. Though the oil spills have been considerably reduced in the past decades, the incidents of oil spills still happen. For instance, in 2018, there were 137 oil spills in the United States alone. Out of 137 spills, 65 were reported as the maximum potential spills, releasing gallons of oil into the water.
- Landfills Leakage: Landfills are the huge piles of garbage usually found on the outskirts of a city or urban settlement. The garbage from the landfills leaks into the water bodies with rain or reaches with the wind, resulting in their contamination. They contain a large amount of several contaminants harmful for aquatic life.
Effects of Water Pollution
The most immediate effect of water pollution is on the organisms that live in water. Moreover, it is also harmful to the surrounding plants, animals and humans those use or consume water in some form or the other.
Chemical pollutants are most harmful in this regard as they are difficult to separate physically and alter the properties of water. They get mixed with the water alter its chemical properties, making it harmful to consume or use.
Use of contaminated water causes several serious diseases in humans like – diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, dysentery, etc and could be life-threatening.
Conclusion
Water Pollution today has become a serious issue that concerns the health of the planet and its inhabitants. Water is a very useful resource, much needed for drinking and other essential activities by humans and animals alike. If the already scarce freshwater is made contaminated then the chances of life on the planet are considerably reduced. To save life on earth we must first save the water by keeping our water bodies clean.
Frequently Asked Questions on Water Pollution
What are the objectives of water pollution?
Water pollution is not the objective but the result of contaminants entering water bodies, harming aquatic life and ecosystems.
How do we detect water pollution?
Water pollution can be detected through various tests and measurements of water quality, including chemical analysis and biological monitoring.
What is the effects of water pollution?
The effects of water pollution include harm to aquatic life, ecosystem disruption, health risks for humans, and damage to the environment.
Why do we stop water pollution?
We aim to stop water pollution to protect aquatic ecosystems, ensure safe drinking water, and safeguard public health.
How can we protect water?
We can protect water by reducing pollutant discharge, conserving water resources, and adopting eco-friendly practices.
What is the main source of pollution?
The main sources of water pollution are industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, sewage, and improper waste disposal.
How to prevent water pollution?
Preventing water pollution involves regulating pollution sources, promoting eco-friendly practices, and raising awareness about water conservation.
What's the cause of water pollution?
The causes of water pollution include chemical pollutants, sewage, oil spills, and excessive nutrient runoff from agriculture and urban areas.
