Environmentalists have recognised the pollution of water bodies as a primary concern. This essay will first show that indiscriminate sewage disposal and oil spillage are the major water pollutants and then highlight the destruction of aquatic life as well as water-borne diseases epidemic as the consequences.
Starting with the factors responsible for water pollution, unlawful disposal of refuse and sewage is by far the most serious. Several countries across the globe grapple annually with the management of solid waste, both from households and industries. Because of substandard or outrightly nonexistent waste management systems, wastes like metals, plastics, and textiles from homes as well as scrap metals, gasoline and pesticides from factories are dumped in rivers. Besides, crude oil exploitation has contributed in no small measure to the problem. Water-related risks in oil exploration, refining and distribution include leakages, spills and explosions. Through these, crude oil and its products reach water bodies, contributing significantly to exponential levels of water contamination in countries like Iraq, Peru and Russia.
The repercussions of water pollution on man and animals are immense. Toxic substances in water deprive aquatic life of oxygen, thereby suffocating them. Fishes, for instance, can ingest the toxic chemicals, causing malformations of the gills, fins and tails together with reproductive problems, and eventually death. The oil spill in Niger Delta in Nigeria in 2015 is a sad but relevant case in point. Thousands of gallons of crude oil spilt from a pipeline connected to an offshore rig, leading to the closure of 15 miles of beach and the death of an uncounted number of fish. What is more, contaminated water significantly limits people’s access to quality water for various purposes, especially domestic. Contaminated water consequently leads to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio.
To conclude, poor handling of waste and oil leaks are the predominant factors responsible for water pollution. The impacts of this on man and wildlife are downright negative and include disease pandemics and the destruction of marine life.
