Water Pollution : The Raccoon River

Claim: Pollution could affect wildlife like fish, birds, and others by hurting or killing them due to trash or litter stuck in weeds or floating above the water in the air.

Pollution has always been an issue within our society. Derrick Jenson and Stephanie McMillan as well as Michael Pollan have all written articles about the issues in our environment and the effects of pollution. We are causing an increasing amount of pollution as time goes on. Virtually everything we do causes some form of damage to the environment and it seems that regardless of how much we want to fix this issue we are making no progress towards a solution. Based on their articles “As The World Burns” and Pollans article “Why Bother” these authors have similar views and yet contrast on many points.

When you think of problems in the world today, water pollution isn’t one that would normally come up. In fact it is one of the worst problems in the world today. Water pollution, by definition, is the contamination of streams, lakes, underground water, bays, or oceans by any substances harmful to living things. All living things contain water and most need water to survive, so water pollution is a big problem. If severe, the pollution can kill off birds, fish, and any animals that use the water source. In some cases even killing an entire species.

Water is one of life’s most precious resources. Without it, life as we know it would cease to exist. Almost all life is dependent on water for survival. Humanity uses water in almost everything they do in their daily lives, whether that be for consumption or production. However water itself is not enough to sufice, clean water is required for life to thrive. Dirty untreated water can be the cause for death as well, so it is integral that water be kept clean. The government has enacted laws to ensure that our water is maintained and kept clean. These laws cover industries, plumbing, and sanitation among other things. Unfortunately, the city government in Flint Michigan willfully failed to provide safe water for its citizens.

A centerpiece of the water quality battle is the North Raccoon, where the water runoff from farms is ruining the river. In the article, “The North Raccoon: A River of Controversy and Undiscovered Beauty,” Mike Kilen (2017) claims, Steve Roe of Panora

It has came to mind that the Big Sioux River located in the Eastern Part of South Dakota is a very polluted river. It is so polluted that its the 13th highest polluted water source in the United States. Therefore the people around this river, this is a very important to the people around because this is there main water source. People may ask why is this river so polluted and its because of the toxic waste from us humans. Every time you go to the bathroom all this waste ends up going into the river and even when you take a shower all the chemicals that go in your hair or for your body from the soap end up going into the river.

This situation may arise if humanity does not take steps to mend its polluting tendencies. To begin with, each individual should focus on decontaminating his or her nearest water body. For those living in Delaware, the nearest major water body is the Delaware River, which is in dire need of reform. “The Delaware River, . . . is the fifth most-polluted river in the country, according to a report released . . . by Environment New Jersey” (Augenstein). However, this issue did not arise spontaneously. A recognized problem by the early eighteenth century, Delaware River pollution remained a serious issue for the next 300 years. This mostly originated from rapid population growth and booming industrial activities (“Delaware River Water Quality”). As the years progressed, Delawareans continuously disregarded the Delaware River, and now it is immensely polluted due to an accumulation of neglect for the river. Residents polluted the river without repercussions until the river’s deterioration began to adversely affect them. Because of this, Delaware waters continued to befoul past the line of safety. “Severe pollution was most evident by the prevalence of waterborne illnesses and in the sharp decline of migratory fish populations” (“Delaware River Water Quality”). Delaware waterways are currently unsafe for commercial use due to the presence of pollutants and parasites like Giardia and Cryptosporidium in the water. These can cause significant health problems, especially in

Pollution has a really bad effect on the ecosystem. It can be harmful to the animals; from poisoning, to losing a body part, or even death. It can kill the local plant life, and affect us. Now you tell me, would you want to live and raise your kids in a filthy, polluted place that is not good for any

The St. Johns River is suffering from a significant environmental disaster because of toxic substances from municipal and industrial wastewater, fertilizer runoff, failing septic tanks, and stormwater. Consequently, over 55% of the river miles, 80.4% of acres of large water bodies, 59.4 % of estuaries, and 31.4% of coastline miles do not meet water quality standards in Florida (Florida Department of Environmental Protection 119). For that matter, studying those pollution problems that the river faces is vital since one can use this information to salvage the natural resource which is at the brink of destruction.

There is a new chemical that “decreases male fertility, hormones, and testosterone” (“Declining Male Fertility”). The chemicals are in the shape or form of medicine and pesticides and can affect fish and other species in the water. Some research has shown that these “chemicals make male fish believe they are turning into females which is declining the male fertility in the water. These chemicals are getting in the water through the sewage pipes leading into the water. This not only harms the water, but also the organisms inside the water. Water pollution isn’t just hurting the environment, but also costing Americans money. Instead of drinking water from the faucets, people are buying more expensive types of bottled water. Since most people are buying expensive bottles of water, this is going to cost them more money. “Water pollution is costing the government, facilities, and Americans nearly $4.3 billion” (“Freshwater Pollution Cost $4.3 Billion”). These pollutants can cause harmful effects on us humans.

Pollution is also a problem with the impact of the ecosystem. People also can cause pollution which impacts the ecosystem. When people put DDT on their grass it gets into the Great Lakes ecosystem. The runoff carries the DDT into the Great Lakes water then it gets into the Phytoplankton,

Water pollution has had devastating effects on the environment, which include irreversible effects to the ocean's ecosystem, health problems and abnormal conditions.

Pollution has become a prevalent issue worldwide and has begun to affect the air used to breathe, the soil used to grow food, and the water used to drink. All of these effects result in commonly occurring destruction of health and wildlife that one may have seen on the news or heard from peers. In order to live, one needs food, water, clothing, and shelter. If the water and food that society consumes gets contaminated, a major component of life has been eradicated, which can only have negative consequences. If more people are educated as to what effects the environment, the world has a chance to counteract the effects of pollution. The main causes of pollution are the burning of fossil fuels such as with car exhausts, littering as a result of societal norms and laziness, and factory waste as a result of lax waste regulation, and can result in mass destruction of the environment and catastrophic effects on the everyday lives of contemporary people.

A reason that water pollution is a problem today is because many people don’t realize that they are hurting out water supplies when they really are. There are many pollutants that hurt our water supply such as farming. When farmers spray their fields with chemicals and apply fertilizers. Some of these chemicals reach the river, and animal urine and manure may be washed into the river. Another cause of water pollution is from accidents, such as tanker spills. Accidents with chemicals may cause river pollution as well. Mining can be another cause because the dusts and minerals get washed into the rivers. Seepage is another cause of water pollution. Because chemicals from waste dumps join the groundwater flow into the river. Urban Wastes is a major cause because the sewage comes from toilets, sinks, and industrial processes. This causes many human diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, and cholera.

The last great source of pollution lays in the businesses. Although not common, businesses have been known to dump their waste products into streams, lakes, and rivers. This may seem like a relatively small occurrence that really is not your concern, but you're wrong. Each time one of these companies pollutes there are horrible consequences to pay. Mutations, destroyed ecosystems, and human death have all occurred as a direct result of illegal dumping. It contaminates our drinking water and soil. It causes entire communities of humans (not to mention animals) to move on to new places not to return for at least a century. The pollutants dumped by industry are so concentrated that a single barrel can destroy an entire lake's ecosystem. Not only do companies dump chemicals, but also hot water. This hot water kills most life it comes into contact with, but also causes an overgrowth