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Causes Of Water Pollution

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Water pollution is the contamination of bodies of water when waste is discharged into them. Any change in the physical, chemical and biological parts of water that will have a harmful effect on living things, is considered water pollution. People have contributed to the problem in numerous ways. To start off, we cause many types of runoff. The first type we cause is industrial runoff. When factories, agricultural centers, and construction sites produce toxic materials, or use them in manufacturing, those materials are often exposed to rain water. As it rains in these areas, the chemicals are then washed from these sites and into the soil, or into nearby streams, lakes, or ponds. Along with industrial runoff, humans produce agricultural runoff. Farms that don’t dispose properly of animal waste often contribute to the buildup of ammonia and nitrates in local water sources, as well as the potential for illness to spread through animal feces. Next, we cause construction runoff. Construction sites make use of harsh chemicals as well as metals that can cause too much of certain minerals to build up in the water supply. Finally, we cause chemical runoff. Frequent use of chemicals to treat your lawn for pests or to encourage grass to grow may seep into the soil in your yard and spread to groundwater sources. Even if you avoid these types of chemicals, you still might be contributing to this problem with the chemicals you use to wash your home or car. Disposing incorrectly of detergents, soaps, and cleaners by dumping them out in your yard can also cause a similar runoff issue. Also, humans contribute to the problem because we dump garbage in the woods, near streams, or in ditches, which quickly causes pollution in both groundwater and surface water. Landfills are also a major part in water pollution. Landfills that aren’t up to modern-day standards let garbage sit for a long time and allow it to seep into the ground around it. This can lead to runoff, groundwater pollution, and even surface water pollution if the dump is located too close to sources of surface water. In some instances, wind and heavy rain may even wash pieces of garbage into water supplies from large landfills. China is the country that creates the

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