Water Pollution Facts - RAFIU FISHBONE HELPS TO EXPLORE

Water is the greatest gift of nature. Humans have exploited this natural resource to a level where controlling water pollution is impossible. Here are some important reasons why water is considered as a precious natural resource. The misuse of this can cause damaging consequences and a threat to human life. Here is an interesting way to analyze how water pollution is gradually causing so many deaths worldwide.

According to Wikipedia, “Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater). Water pollution occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities.”
The use of hazardous chemicals in manufacturing industries and agriculture cause severe water pollution as waste from these industries goes directly into near by rivers, lakes and ponds. This not only affects the quality of water but also pose danger to several endangered aquatic species.

 Fact 1: The total volume of water available on Earth is about 1.4 billion km and about 70% of the earth is covered in water.
 Fact 2: Fresh water in the world is only 2.5% of the total water available on this planet. Make sure the water you drink is clean with this water filter.
 Fact 3: Around 70% of the industrial waste is dumped into the water bodies where they pollute the usable water supply.
 Fact 4: Fourteen billion pounds of garbage mostly plastic, is dumped into the ocean every year.
Fact 5: 15 million children under the age of five die each year because of diseases caused by drinking water.

 Fact 6: According to the WHO (World Health Organization) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), around 2.5 billion people do not have access to improved sanitation
Fact 7: In America, 40% of the rivers and 46% of the lakes are polluted and are considered unhealthy for swimming, fishing or aquatic life.
 Fact 8: According to UNICEF, more than 3000 children die everyday globally due to consumption of contaminated drinking water.
 Fact 9: Water pollution is the major cause of various diseases like cholera and typhoid.
 Fact 10: On an average 250 million people worldwide succumb to diseases related to water pollution.

Fact 11: According to the World Health Organization, 3.2 million children under the age of five in developing nations die each year as a result of unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation.

 Fact 12: 80%  of the water pollution is caused due to domestic sewage like throwing garbage on open ground and water bodies.

 Fact 13: According to the survey done by Food & Water Watch cites that approximately 3.5 billion people in 2025 will face water shortage issues. This will be mainly due to water pollution. This is likely to happen because the world pollution is increasing tremendously with more water sources getting contaminated as a result of water pollution.

 Fact 14: Plastic waste being a major water pollutant, is causing huge destruction of marine life and is believed to be responsible for deaths of more than 100,000 sea mammals, sea birds and various types of fishes.

 Fact 15: The waste produced in the river contains bacteria, parasites and viruses. These cause life- threatening diseases like diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid.

Fact 16: About 700 million people worldwide drink contaminated water.
Fact 17: Important water contaminants which are man-made include heavy metals, nutrients, microbial pathogens, sediments, organic matter etc.
Fact 18: About 1.2 billion people or 1 in 3 people in rural areas defecate in the open. Open defecation poses an human health risk and compromises quality in nearby water bodies.
Fact 19: Aquatic animal have faced an estimated extinction rate five times more than that of terrestrial animals.
Fact 20: According to WHO and UNICEF, approximately 894 million people globally don’t have access to improved water sources.
Fact 21: Over 30 billion tons of urban sewage discharged into lakes, rivers and oceans each year.

Fact 22: Two million tons of human waste is disposed in water everyday.
Fact 23: As per reports by UNESCO, 27% of the urban population do not have piped water in their homes.
 Fact 24: Lack of safe drinking water and sanitation in cities leads to cholera, malaria and diarrhoea.

Fact 25: Cruise ships are also a major source of water pollution. They produce over 200,000 gallons of sewage which is mostly released in the ocean. Apart form that, they are also causing at least 35,000 gallons of water contamination due to oil spill.

Even though people have already started taking precautions, the water pollution levels are rising rapidly and there is very little hope left to the polluted water bodies. One big step that every human being can take to prevent water pollution is to minimize water contamination and wastage from their side at every possible level. This was we will be able to save some clean water for the future generations.

References:
http://www.nrdc.org/water/
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/world-water-day-10-devastating-facts/blog/44430/