The Causes Of Water Pollution

"Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink” written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is often an accurate saying when it comes to water. This saying is not accurate just because All over the world people struggle to find clean water to drink. Without access to clean water they suffer from illnesses and diseases from drinking and using dirty water. Water pollution is the primary cause of many health and environmental problems. Eliminating water pollution would prevent many dangerous diseases and illnesses. Eliminating water pollution would also result in animals and their environments not being harmed. In Flint, Michigan, a crisis came into existence after people learned the water they were drinking had been contaminated by the lead pipes

There are many causes of water pollution, and the effects on the environment are directly related to the primary cause of the pollution. Therefore, each cause has to be examined for harmful effects. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration states nutrient pollution, "can lead to more serious problems such as low levels of oxygen dissolved in the water" (3). The dissolved oxygen levels being low lead to aquatic life dying. Nutrient pollution also can cause algae blooms which cause serious environmental problems affecting aquatic ecosystems, and which can cause dangerous health issues for animals and humans. Water pollution caused by sewage is an environmental problem. When sewage pollutes water it can be dangerous especially if it enters people 's source of drinking water as author Woodford states, "It is possible to catch illnesses such as hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera from river and sea water" (4). Chemical and radioactive runoff can be dangerous to humans as well. When water that is contaminated by chemicals is consumed by humans it can lead to sickness, paralysis or even death depending on the kind of chemical polluting the water and the concentration of the pollutant in the water. The Flint Crisis is an example of the damaging effect of chemical runoff, as the Flint communities ' water was contaminated by the lead pipes that carried the water resulting people in the affected communities ending up with lead poisoning. The environment and the animals are also impacted by chemical and radioactive runoff, increasing the death of organisms and decreasing biodiversity(3). Oil runoff water pollution is yet another example of water pollution. The effects oil runoff has on the environment are especially debilitating. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico for example, hurt not only aquatic life, but also land animals. The oil would get on to anything that touched the