Do you know the effects that water pollution has on the environment and on you?

Water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface and makes up over 60% of the human body. Water pollution affects marine ecosystems, wildlife health, and human well-being. By understanding the effects of water contamination, we can make small changes in our daily routines to help solve the issue of pollution in our water.

One big culprit leading to high levels of water pollution is sewage. Sewage from domestic households, factories and commercial buildings is often disposed into the sea.  Sewage can be more problematic when people flush chemicals and toxic pharmaceutical substances down the toilet. Sewage, pesticides and fertilizers, and agricultural run-off contain organic materials, that when discharged into waters, increase the growth of algae, which causes the depletion of oxygen.  The low oxygen levels are not able to support most indigenous organisms in the area and therefore upset the natural ecological balance in rivers and lakes.

Another concern facing our water supply is when humans, factories and businesses dump solid waste. Add to that, littering by humans into rivers, lakes, and the world’s oceans. The most common items that people throw into water supply causing ocean pollution are cardboard, styrofoam, aluminum, plastic and glass. Human-produced litter of items such as plastic bags and 6-pack rings can get aquatic animals caught and killed due to suffocation.

Water pollutants can also cause flooding, due to the accumulation of solid waste and soil erosion in streams and rivers.

Industrial waste from factories, which use freshwater to carry waste from the plant into rivers, contaminates waters with pollutants such as asbestos, lead, mercury and petrochemicals. Fertilizers from industrial waste, or run-off from farmland can end up in aquatic environments and accumulate in fish that are later eaten by humans. Fish are easily poisoned with metals that are also later consumed by humans. Mercury is particularly poisonous to small children and women. It has also been found to interfere with the development of the nervous system in fetuses and young children.

Water pollution has been extensively documented as a contributor to health problems in humans and marine animal ecosystems. It has a huge impact on our lives, and if we do our part by not throwing trash or chemicals into our water supplies and drains, we can contribute to the improvement of aquatic life and of our own health and well being.

This effect of water contamination is one of the most compelling reasons to install a water filtration system in your home. A reverse osmosis system has the ability to filter out many of these harmful contaminants, which in turn, protects you from some of the harmful effects of water pollution. For more information on our clean water filtration solutions, visit our website or give us a call.