The Problem of Water Pollution
A
Water pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing humankind. It is particularly acute in less developed countries, where a supply of clean water is far from a given, but is also becoming more problematic in the developed world, as water scarcity is starting to increase. The causes of endemic water pollution are not hard to trace; sewage contamination and chemical pollutants from agriculture or industry are the main factors, but a host of other things play a part, including the disposal of everyday household items. Alleviating these pollutants requires both global action from governments and a behavioural change on the part of the general populace. The improvement of water quality and the management of water resources must therefore be both an internationally coordinated effort, and one that filters down to the individual level. As will become evident, the stakes could not be higher.
B
Access to clean drinking water is fundamental to human survival, and water pollution is considered by most researchers to be the most common cause of death and disease worldwide. Scientists have estimated that the lack of clean water causes 14,000 deaths around the world every single day. According to UNICEF 4,000 of those deaths are of children under five, due to faecal contamination of drinking water. In China, around 90 per cent of all water in cities is contaminated and it was recently reported that half a billion Chinese people did not have access to safe drinking water. According to the head of China’s national development agency, some Chinese rivers are reportedly so polluted that immersing oneself in them will damage the skin. In India and parts of Africa the problem is also severe; around 580 people die every day in India, whilst only 30 per cent of Africans have access to toilets and only 63 per cent have access to piped water – forcing people to use polluted water sources. These eye-opening figures reveal just how crucial alleviating water pollution is to the lives of people around the world.
C
Solving the problem of water pollution is however an increasingly complicated endeavour, particularly since the causes can be both local and international, and because water resource management is a problematic issue around the world. Nevertheless, there are several ways in which water pollution can be alleviated, given the necessary funds and the political will. One of these is the improved provision of sewage treatment facilities, which are now able to remove around 90 per cent of the pollutants from sewage. Most urban centres in the developed world have these facilities, and if they were extended throughout the developing world they could save millions of lives. Similarly, industrial wastewater treatment facilities can remove many of the polluting elements generated by industry. This includes both conventional pollutants such as oil and grease and toxic pollutants such as metals and chemicals. Many larger industrial sites now have their own treatment facilities, but ensuring that this is the case across the board is a challenge that few countries have been able to surmount.
D
The other major polluting agent is agriculture, which is most damaging to groundwater and surface water. Sediment which is washed off soil is a major cause of water pollution, as are fertilisers and other nutrients which can flow into water supplies. In many countries measures have been put into place to stop this from happening, such as erosion controls to reduce runoff and nutrient management plans to avoid pollution from fertilisers. However these normally require legislative action to ensure that they are universally utilised. A further cause of endemic water pollution is the action of individuals in the home, which, although not as significant as industrial or agricultural polluting, is both harder to legislate against and harder to track. Improper disposal of household items like cooking oils, paints or any other chemical products can all be serious pollutants, as can simply not disposing of rubbish properly. Furthermore, a new form of water pollution has arisen with the use of certain cosmetic products, which have been cited as a factor in the contamination of bodies of water in America. Facial scrubs and other cleansers are often made with microbeads, tiny plastic spheres which are intended to exfoliate. These have started to be a major pollutant since they enter the plumbing system in their millions, posing a danger to fish and contaminating water supplies. Microbeads have now been banned in both the US and the UK, but are still common in many other countries.
E
Everybody can do their bit to alleviate water pollution in their local area, simply by ensuring that they dispose of substances properly, follow guidelines for food waste, toiletries and other cleaning products and recycle, even if doing so is not legally enforced. Conserving as much water as possible when showering or washing should also be a priority, as well as using water sparingly in gardening and household cleaning. Avoiding pesticides and other chemical fertilisers, and disposing of them properly if they have been used is important, as is using environmentally friendly detergents and bleaches. These are simple measures that everybody should take, but it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that people are educated about the costs and benefits of these actions.
F
However, it is also vital that governments act quickly to tackle larger scale pollutants, since reversing the contamination of bodies of water is an almost impossible process. China has been investing heavily in improving its sewage and industrial waste treatment facilities, but industrial accidents such as chemical spills have slowed progress there significantly. Official projections are for drastic improvements to China’s rivers by 2030, but whether this is possible remains to be seen. The Chinese government, and all governments around the world, must act fast before the increasing threat of climate change, and the worsening problem of water scarcity, further burden clean water supplies, pushing them towards the point of no return.