Water pollution and it's impact on the community

Water pollution and its impact on our community

Impact on animals

Sources

By Isabel and Noelle

• http://www.water-pollution.org.uk/preventingyou.html
• http://kidsenvirohealth.nlm.nih.gov/topic/004/water-pollution/
• http://www.science20.com/anthrophysis/water_pollution_affects_both_aquatic_and_terrestrial_organisms-8226
• http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/water-pollution/causes-of-water-pollution.html

What causes water pollution?

Waste that we dump into the water, weather it's down the toilet, drain or straight into the river, can cause serious harm to our sea creatures. Some choke on it, while others eat it, mistaking it for food.

The toxins, bacteria and heavy metals dumped into the water can cause death for many sea creatures, because they breath in the contaminated water. It's like us constantly breathing in gasoline. It would eventually kill us.

Besides killing aquatic animals, water pollution can also cause damage to animals on land. If, say, a deers habitat was close to a contaminated river or stream, the animal would constantly be drinking the water. The bacteria from the water would then grow in the deer.

Some insects, like dragonflies, spend their larva stage underwater, but live on land during adulthood. These insects are a great source of food for other predators, so if the water the insects hatch in is polluted, then they will diminish in numbers and therefor, terrestrial animals who feed on them will not have any food.

How we can help as individuals and as families.

Everyday activities, such as using shampoo or soap with toxins in it, or using fertilizers on your lawn can lead to water pollution.

When it rains, the lawn fertilizer drains down into the drains in the road and leads directly to a lake or river. The water is not treated.

That river or lake is probably where you get your drinking water from, so you are essentially drinking your own back wash.

Water pollution is also caused by toxic chemicals ,like heavy metals, that are dumped into the ocean. They contaminate fish and sea creatures.

Additionally, those contaminated fish are fished out of the water and eaten by humans. Once again, back wash! WE contaminate our own drinking water and food!

Garbage that we dump into the water, can cause serious harm to sea creatures. Some choke on it, while others eat it.

• Decrease water usage. Don't leave the tap, toilet, shower or hose running when it is not in use, this reduces the unsanitary water that needs to be treated.
• Do not throw any products down the drain, because it will eventually end up in your water system or in the ocean, where it could choke an aquatic animal.
• Do not dispose of medicine, paint, or toxins by throwing it down the drain.
• Use environmentally friendly pesticides for your lawns and cleaning liquids.
• Try out composting, always recycle, and re-use as much as you can.

What is water pollution?

Video

• Water Pollution arises when toxins and bacteria, as well as human waste and garbage, are dumped into lakes, rivers, oceans and streams, and then causes bacteria to grow in the water. The water becomes unsanitary for human as well as animal use.

Also, in poor countries, they cannot afford a water treatment plant, so they drink unsanitary water from swamps and ponds. Sadly, the water could be full of nasty bacteria, such as animal excrement, which is more than common to end up in their drinking water.

Water pollution has increased dangerously since the 1990s, and if we don't do something soon, our water will be so filthy, we might all end up with colora or some other type of disease caused by contaminated water.

https://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://emilysquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/EmilysQuotes.Com-life-planet-mistake-nature-threat-relationship-mistake-pollution-Terry-Swearingen.jpg&imgrefurl=http://emilysquotes.com/tag/planet/&h=567&w=850&tbnid=QUzm9BsHsFEN7M:&docid=F9WTp8L-FAtThM&ei=ZZaOVrKcHcfUeNfUmOAO&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwjy4veyk5jKAhVHKh4KHVcqBuwQMwgoKAwwDA

Activity #1

Community water prevention

Our first activity will clarify the severe damage that polluted water causes for our drinking water.

• Do 15 push-ups.
• Once you have finished, we will pass out cups of water to every student, but only drink half of the water. HALF!
• Now, we are going to add soap and/or food colouring to your water.

Now do you want to drink it???

Fun Facts

• Educate your community on how to conserve water in their homes.
• Teach children in schools at a young age how to recycle and use environmentally friendly products at home and school.
• Teach the community to use compost instead of pesticides on their lawn.
• Use your water sparingly when watering lawns.
• There is rain for a reason. You do not need to constantly water your lawn! It is a major water waster!

• 3000 children die everyday globally due to consumption of contaminated drinking water.
• Many common diseases, like cholera, are caused by polluted water.
• The number of dead zones ( areas where there are no living organisms due to lack of oxygen) in the ocean has increased by 30% between 1995 and 2007.
• Water pollution can lead to 1.8 MILLION deaths yearly.
• 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into US waters annually.

Source: Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO), http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/

• stormwater/cso.pdf