Water Pollution

1. 20% of the world’s population do not have safe drinking water.

2. Industry is a huge source of water pollution.

3. Industrial waste, such as lead, mercury, oil, and chemicals used in fertilisers, is often harmful to humans and the environment.

4. Industrial waste is often dumped into rivers, lakes and the sea.

5. Waste from livestock can cause water pollution.

6. Water runs off fields and can carry harmful bacteria from livestock and fertilisers.

7. When fertilisers run into water, they cause algae to grow quickly.

8. The algae may use up the oxygen in the water, leaving none for other aquatic life.

9. The algae may also block the sunlight from aquatice plants, causing them to die.

10. Global warming has caused a rise in the earth’s water temperature.

11. It is caused by the burning of fossil fuels that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

12. These gases trap the heat of the sun.

13. When the temperature of water increases, it upsets the habitat of many aquatic creatures and can kill them.

14. Disposing of sewage is a big problem - in Britain about 300 million gallons of sewage are produced each day.

15. Some of the sewage, still untreated, is pumped, through long pipes, into the sea.

16. The sewage carries many chemicals into the water, which can cause illnesses such as hepatitis, cholera and typhoid.

17. Sewage is treated and cleaned at a sewage works.

18. The sewage goes through a number of processes, such as filtering to remove solid particles.

19. This takes several weeks, but once it is complete, all that is left is clean water which is poured back into the rivers.

20. Acid rain is caused by air pollution.

21. Droplets of water in the clouds mix with gases produced by power stations, factories and cars to form acids.

22. The rain from these clouds then falls as very weak acid, which is why it is known as ‘acid rain’.

23. Oceans are often polluted by oil

24. Oil does not dissolve in water and forms a thick layer of sludge.

25. The sludge suffocates the fish and gets caught in the feathers of birds and stops them from flying.

26. It also blocks the light from some aquatic plants.

27. Plastic often washes up in sea and rivers, it is light and floats easily, so it can travel a long way.

28. Most plastics do not break down easily and can survive in the ocean for up to 450 years.

29. They are responsible for the deaths of thousands of aquatic creatures every year.

30. Many things can be done to help prevent water pollution.

31. Less water can be used so not so much needs treating.

32. Paints and oils should not be tipped down drains.

33. Rubbish should not be thrown into rivers or streams because it takes some things many years to degrade in the water.