Water pollution

**Water Pollution Definition and Impacts:**
– Water pollution negatively alters water bodies, affecting legitimate uses.
– Anthropogenic contaminants impair water quality, impacting human uses like drinking water and biotic communities.
– Contaminants cause a shift in water’s ability to support ecosystems.
– Pollution results from substances or energy forms altering water’s nature.

**Contaminants in Water Pollution:**
– Sewage origin compounds include chemicals from personal care products.
– Disinfection by-products from chemically treated water can be pollutants.
– Hormones, synthetic materials, insecticides, and herbicides enter water bodies.
– Major pollutants from sewage are suspended solids, organic matter, nutrients, and pathogens.

**Pathogens and Organic Compounds in Water Pollution:**
– Pathogenic organisms like bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and helminths are common.
– Indicator organisms like E. coli are used to detect fecal contamination.
– Toxic organic substances like petroleum hydrocarbons and volatile compounds enter water bodies.
– Problematic species include organochlorides, PFAS, and improperly stored industrial solvents contributing to pollution.

**Inorganic Contaminants and Solid Waste Pollution:**
– Inorganic pollutants include ammonia, heavy metals, nitrates, phosphates, and silt.
– Freshwater salinization from runoff and de-icing road salts affects ecosystems.
– Solid waste enters water bodies through untreated sewage, combined sewer overflows, and urban runoff.
– Macroscopic pollution and microplastics persist in aquatic ecosystems, with textiles being a significant source.

**Surface Water and Marine Pollution:**
– Surface water pollution affects rivers, lakes, and oceans, with nutrient pollution being a common issue.
– Lack of sanitation leads to water pollution, including open defecation.
– Around 16% of global microplastics discharge into seas comes from Europe and Central Asia.
– Marine pollution sources include oil spills, plastic debris, and chemical pollutants, impacting marine ecosystems and biodiversity.