When it comes to water pollution there are four categories that all pollutants come from. They can either be biological pollutants, chemical pollutants, physical pollutants, or thermal pollutants. All of these affect the water in different ways but in the end they are all harmful to both the environment they are introduced to and the humans who come into contact with the water.
Three pollutants that reduce the quality of water consist of high temperature discharges, microorganisms, and nutrients. High temperature discharges degrade water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature and is a non point source. Microorganisms consist of bacteria, viruses, and Giardia and are also a non point source. Nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorous and are a non point source. To detect High-Temperature Discharges scientists take the temperature of a body of water a compare it to records. If it is detected possible sources are evaluated and measures are taken to stop or reduce it. Many generators and large engines can cause High-temp discharges that can affect water life in small areas. Many forms of sea life can be affected by HTDs. Coral is an example of the damage HTDs can cause because when the water near coral is heated the reef process is slowed down and usually the coral becomes bleached. Scientists detect microorganisms by taking samples of a water source and examining it under a microscope. Many microorganisms are parasitic and can enter any animal that drinks or swims in the water. Once infected an animal can become emaciated and can even die. A good example of this is Mexico. There is a high concentration of harmful bacteria in some Mexican water sources that can cause moderate to severe infections. Many fertilizers used on lawns can leech into the soil or directly drain into storm drains and end up in a body of water. This excess of nitrogen from the fertilizer can cause a rapid, widespread growth of algae which can disrupt the ecosystem. The extra oxygen used by the algae can literally choke fish and other aquatic life to death. This in turn can affect coastal regions dependent on fishing.
Water pollution prevention requires a heightened level of consciousness, including what type of vehicle and how far or often the vehicle is driven. Driving less is part of a quality water pollution prevention program as the vehicles on the road are responsible for at least 1/3 of the nitrogen pollution in the Earth’s water. When pollutants such as nitrogen enter the water it becomes stagnant or is overloaded with waste. The water is then unable to handle the biological material, and it soon becomes polluted. A critical factor operating under such a situation is the biological oxygen demand (BOD). It refers to the oxygen requirement by the metabolizing organisms. As the number of organisms increases, the demand for oxygen increases proportionally. Depletion of oxygen in water may lead to death of fish and other aquatic animals, a flat taste of water, and eventual death of aerobes. The best way to prevent water pollution is for you yourself to do it. Some ways to prevent water pollution are replacing shower heads and faucet aerators with water efficient models, using a water-filled milk jug or plastic bottle in your toilet tank to displace water; this allows your toilet to operate using less water, or you can buy no phosphate or low phosphate detergents. Due to the fact that many detergents have high phosphate levels when they enter a stream or lake they elevate the natural levels which can kill fish and other wildlife. You can also use a broom instead of water to clean your driveway or garage but do not sweep debris into the street or storm sewer or you can put a spray nozzle on the end of your hose for car washing and plant watering to prevent the hose from continually releasing water and to control the amount of water used.
Biological water pollutants are when carbohydrates are converted to carbon dioxide and water, which are also useful to plants. The plants then release °2 through photosynthesis. Due to rapid movement of water, aeration is more or less constant and the wastes eliminated. However, there arises the problem, when water becomes stagnant or is overloaded with waste the water is then unable to handle the biological material and it soon becomes polluted. We have already seen how a lake may turn into a swamp due to overabundance of organic matter. Considerable evidence has shown that environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contribute to marine mammal mortalities by affecting their immune systems. Marine mammals are at particularly high risk of immunotoxicity because of their high trophic levels, long life span, and limited capacity to eliminate PCBs. PCBs and biological pollution may have lethal consequences for seals living near urban areas that receive high levels of bacterial pathogens, which are areas characterized by elevated fecal coli form counts.
Chemical water pollutants are metals or solvents from industrial work, pesticides from farming, or petroleum from oil spills. These pollutants often become diluted but even they are still able to radically alter the ecosystems they enter and allow the overproduction of certain forms of algae and bacteria that pollute the water with respect to its use by humans. Once in the water, the growth of microorganisms can be exacerbated by environmental factors such as the water temperature and the chemical composition of the water. For example, runoff of fertilizers from suburban properties can infuse watercourses with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. All these are desirable nutrients for bacterial growth. Too much of a plant nutrient may lead to excessive plant growth, while synthetic organic compounds may cause physiological changes in aquatic organisms, or may become lethal at high concentrations. Pollutants can be taken up by plants and animals through contact with contaminated sediments, or directly from the water. Plants and organisms that become contaminated from these sources can pass the contamination up the food chain as predators consume them
Physical water pollutants and thermal water pollutants both increase things already found in the water such as dirt and sediment or heat, except these are polluted. Physical pollutants cause the water to become cloudy due to presence of some particulate matter such as sand or soil. These turn the consistency of the water to that of pea soup. The presence of some phosphates or nitrates may encourage the growth of algal blooms leading finally to a condition known as eutrophication. This upsets the ecological balance. Thermal water pollutants, also known as thermal discharge, introduce waste heat into bodies of water that support aquatic life. The addition of heat reduces the water's ability to hold dissolved gases, including the oxygen required for aquatic life. If the water temperature is greater than 95 degrees Fahrenheit, the dissolved oxygen content may be too low to support some species. If the differential temperature is too large, the difference can also stress some species. As a result, thermal pollution can wreak havoc on native fish species, such as trout, that require cold water with high levels of dissolved oxygen. When the water becomes warmer, other non-native fish that thrive in the warmth can take over habitats from native fish. In addition, warmer water allows bacterial populations to increase and thrive, and algae "blooms" may occur.
There are four levels of biochemical health risks biohazard 1, 2, 3, and 4. Biohazard one is bacteria and viruses including bacillus subtilis, canine hepatitis, escherichia coli, varicella (chicken pox). Usually contaminated materials are left in the open (but separately indicated) waste receptacles. Biohazard two is bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. Biohazard three is Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Biohazard four viruses and bacteria cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic diseases.
Preventive measures of biochemical health risks contain the four biohazards. Biohazard one decontamination procedures for this level are similar in most respects to modern precautions against everyday viruses (i.e.: washing one's hands with anti-bacterial soap, washing all exposed surfaces of the lab with disinfectants, etc); decontamination can be achieved by treating with chemical disinfectants or by steam autoclaving. Lab coats are required and gloves recommended. The laboratory work is supervised by an individual with general training in microbiology or a related science. Biohazard two is research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures; biological safety cabinets (Class 2, type A, BSC) must be available. An autoclave should be readily available for decontaminating waste materials. Lab coats, gloves and face protection are required. The laboratory work must be supervised by a competent scientist who understands the risk associated with working with the agents involved. Biohazard three is when containment is required for infectious agents that may cause serious or potentially lethal diseases as a result of exposure by inhalation. The laboratory must be a separate building or isolated zone, with double-door entry, directional inward airflow. Lastly, biohazard four, the entrance and exit of a level four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard.
Diseases of chemical health risks cause significant additional effects to the nervous system and immune system after prolonged exposure. Illnesses identified by medical researchers include adult and child cancers, numerous neurological disorders, immune system weakening, autoimmune disorders, asthma, allergies, infertility, miscarriage, and child behavior disorders including learning disabilities, mental retardation, hyperactivity and ADD (attention deficit disorders). Common pesticides used in homes and lawns are now being shown in medical research to accelerate aging of the immune and nervous system resulting in serious health problems years after exposure. Of significant concern are agriculture and consumer use of pesticides however they are not currently required to be tested for subtle neurological effects (i.e. memory, depression, behavior), child learning disorders, or pregnancy developmental studies and immune system effects (i.e. lower white blood counts, increased infection rates and autoimmunity).
Preventive measures of chemicals heath risks are to use lead-free gasoline, which allows the use of catalytic converters on vehicles' exhaust systems; drive more fuel-efficient vehicles, such as hybrid gas-electric vehicles; change power plants and industrial plants that burn fossil fuels; and use a variety of filtering methods to reduce particles and scrubbing methods to reduce gases. The ideal method to abate or diffuse the chemical pollution of waterways is to minimize or avoid the use of chemicals for industrial, agricultural, and domestic purposes. Adapting practices such as organic farming and integrated pest management could help protect waterways. Lastly, by properly treating hazardous waste and by recycling chemical containers and discarded products containing chemicals this reduces solid waste buildup and leaching of toxic chemicals into waterways
Diseases of physical health risks are cancer, including prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, hormonal problems that can disrupt reproductive and developmental processes, damage to the nervous system, liver and kidney damage, and lastly damage to the DNA. To prevent these diseases, water pollution control methods can be subdivided into physical, chemical, and biological treatment systems. Most treatment systems use combinations of any of these three technologies. Additionally, water conservation is a beneficial means to reduce the volume of wastewater generated.
Lastly, diseases of thermal health risks are respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion. Preventive methods for thermal health risks are cooling ponds, man-made bodies of water designed for cooling by evaporation, convection, and radiation, cooling towers which transfer waste heat to the atmosphere through evaporation and/or heat transfer, and also co-generation which is a process where waste heat is recycled for domestic and/or industrial heating purposes. By learning what pollutes the water and how these pollutants can affect an environment or a human body people are better able to stop the pollution or at least reduce it.
The environmental factors that each type of pollution affects is oftentimes devastating. Chemical water pollution arises from the use of pesticides by farmers. The pesticides get into the water through run off, when it rains and the pollutants are transported into bodies of water. This run off pollutes the water poisoning the aquatic life, and anything that consumes it. This may affect humans who consume fish from a contaminated body of water, or if the human consumes an organism that had consumed a poisoned fish. Thermal pollution affects an environment by destroying the base of a food chain. Since aquatic life has adapted to a small range of temperatures, the slightest change can make a body of water inhabitable for the organism. This causes the predator of that organism to starve because of lack of food. This would continues until the entire food chain is destroyed. Biological pollution has the same type of effect, only it starts the reaction by sickening the aquatic life through various biological agents. These agents are introduced through wildlife around the water through such means as feces. One such way is a parasite that causes Bever Fever in humans. The parasite is found in contaminated water and will cause cysts in the host. Physical pollutants, also, destroy the aquatic food chain of a body of water. The sediment clouds the water slowing photosynthesis eventually killing off the absolute base of a food chain, the plants. Without plants no ecosystem can survive.