Water is life. About 70% of the human body is composed of water. It is necessary for you to drink clean water. Drinking polluted water is not good for you; it can have an bad effects on your entire body. Sickness such diarrhea and cholera can even be fatal for small children. Plants and animals likewise die from being exposed to polluted water.



Let us look at a brief history of later pollution, where it came from, and what are the factors that lead to water pollution.

Ancient times

Water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and streams were the source of water to drink during the ancient times. However, it is the same water bodies where human wastes were deposited. Therefore, in rivers became so polluted that the these ancient cultures needed to construct aqueducts in order to obtain clean drinking water.

The main reason for this water pollution was that human waste found its way to rivers and streams. Cesspools likewise found a way to water bodies and made many people ill.

Medieval Times-1800s

During this period most societies had very little idea of what was bad for you and what was detrimental to the environment. Mercury was commonly dumped into the water supply and most human and farm waste was allowed to run freely into lakes and streams. Most people who lived in cities just dumped their waste and garbage into the street. It probably smelled very bad.

During the latter half of this period civilization made many great strides, often to the detriment of the environment. People even ingested chemicals they thought were good for them at the time that we now know are very bad for you, like Radium and Lead.

The Industrial Revolution of the 1800s saw little care for environmental impact for the benefit of industry.

Many chemicals were pumped into the air and rivers. Most people of the day were not concerned with the impact that their inventions had on the environment. In their defense you could say that nobody had ever given much thought to the fact that the human race could even effect the ecology.

After World War II

In addition to pollutants such as human wastes, fertilizers, leather tanning, and butchering wastes, the emergence of industries and technological factories likewise caused ever more severe water pollution problems. Industrial wastes were freely dumped into rivers, lakes, and streams, polluting the water further and causing large amounts of damage to living organisms using those waters.

1969

In the year 1969, after series of fires on the Cuyahoga River, it was learned that the fires are caused by oil slicks and flammable industrial wastes dumped into it! The government then started the studies that let to the enactment of the 1972 Clean

Water Act.

Even with this act, many people are still unaware of how to protect themselves from chemical pollutants and waterborne diseases. Many large scale cleanups have been ongoing for years.

Present Day

Today, water pollution is still an issue many countries and regions face. It is therefore important for you to know the disease causing agents that may find its way to water bodies. By understanding the damage water pollution can do to your body, you may try to avoid water contamination in your own way.

Water Pollutants

Human wastes, household chemicals, fertilizers, garbage and industrial by-products are the most major water pollutants. You can help avoid them finding their way to the water you drink by learning how to dispose of them properly or avoiding their use altogether.

Other contaminants include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites. These contaminants may be caused by human activities (like large scale farming) but there are some other sources in the environment. Tainted water such as this can cause extreme health problems. If you can ensure that the water in your community is clean by avoiding its contamination, you can help avoid bacteria and viruses reaching the water bodies.

Decomposing bacteria are likewise dangerous in large quantities because they will deplete the oxygen level of the water. This is often caused by fertilizer run-off in the form of phosphates and nitrates. The fertilizer causes blooms of algae and when the algae die they decompose.

As they rot the bacteria depletes the oxygen in the water and this often kills fish. If it can kill a fish, how do you think a small child can fight these pollutants if they enter his body?

Acids, salts and toxic metals can pollute the water extensively, making it unfit to drink. Batteries, computer parts and industrial chemicals like PCBs are some of the culprits.

These pollutants are fatal to all animals and most plants. They typically cause internal organs, such as your liver and brain, to fail work properly.

If you cannot access clean drinking water, you and your family will be at risk to diseases and other problems. Help avoid water pollution by learning to respect the environment.

Properly dispose of chemicals, whether household chemicals or industrial chemicals. Being conscious about the environment can save the life of your family and many other people in the world. Do your part in avoiding water pollution so you, your family and everyone else can live a healthy life.