Freshwater Pollution

Carter Neilsen & Bryan Bierma

Mrs. Weeks

Environmental Science
April 20, 2014



Table of Contents
1. History of Problem

2. Causes of the Problem

3. Consequences of the Problem

4. Proposed Solutions

5. Opposing Position

6. Works Cited



1. History of Water Pollution
Freshwater pollution has affected the world for hundreds, if not thousands
of years. But it didnt become a serious epidemic till the Industrial Revolution. In
the Industrial Revolution humans had finally found a way to manufacture goods
fast and efficiently, but these fast and efficient methods of producing goods was
also heavily polluting the bodies of water near the factories; such as streams,
lakes, and rivers. Water pollution remained a serious problem till the 60s, when
the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, thick with pollutants and bereft of fish, caught fire
(Water). Then after a decade of trying to ban water pollution in 1972 Congress
passed the Clean Water Act, which outlawed polluting waterways. Even though
its been 42 years since the passing of the bill, the world is still at war with water
pollution.
2. Causes of the Problem
There are three main causes of water pollution and each of them are
avoidable. The first one is not disposing of waste properly. Many homes and
factories discharge their waste into rivers, which kill the river ecosystem and put
many species at risk. The second main cause of water pollution is fertilizers and
pesticides. Farmers throughout the world are still using harmful fertilizers and
pesticides to ensure the safe growth of their crops. The third and final cause of
water pollution is human and animal dung that gets washed by the rain into
waterways.





3. Consequences of the Problem
In the present time period there are many consequences that occur when
you pollute freshwater. They range from a variety of disasters like the death of
some aquatic animals, which would cause disruptions in the food chain; and then
the disruptions in the food chain would ultimately lead to the destruction of an
ecosystem. Another present day consequence would be disease. There are
many diseases that occur from polluted water. You can see many examples of
waterborne diseases in Africa because of their lack of clean water. Now the
future holds the same fate as the present but on a larger scale. In the future
instead of just a singular species that goes extinct or gets endangered, it would
be dozens if not hundreds that would be threatened. And the waterborne
diseases would be affecting much more people. It would be a global crisis
instead of a countrys problem if water pollution isnt closely monitored. Also in
the future bottled water is likely to get more expensive because bottling
companies are going to notice the increased demand and they will also be forced
to buy more purifiers so then they can get cleaner water faster and also so then
they can sell more water bottles.
4. Proposed Solutions to the Problem
There are many solutions to solve the Water Pollution problem. The first
one is common sense, which is dispose of things properly. Dont throw recyclable
goods into the garbage can. You (the consumer) are only hurting the
environment by doing that. Nextly, dont waste water, because the more water
you use is more dirty water that the city has to clean and purify. Which would be
unnecessary if everyone used an appropriate amount of water. Also dont dump
harmful chemicals down the drain, such as oils, paints, and medicines. Because
these chemicals can and will destroy the water ecosystem if it is exposed to it.
Finally, the government has set strict laws involving water pollution in the United
States, which basically guarantees its people safe drinking water. But countries
other than the United States need to start creating and/or regulating strict water
pollution laws.


5. Opposing Position
There really isnt anyone that has come out to the public and opposed
saving the water from pollution. But the reason why individuals or businesses do
ignore the laws is because of laziness and cost. It cost more money to get rid of
pollutants properly than what it cost to dump the hazardous material into the local
stream or river. So thats why the legal system has set hefty penalties if people
decide to pollute the water.













1. Works Cited
"Water and Air Pollution." History.com. A&E Television
Networks, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014
"What Are the Major Causes of Water Pollution?" What Are
the Major Causes of Water Pollution? N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr.
2014.
"What Are the Effects of Water Pollution." Pollution. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
"Control of Water Pollution from Agriculture - FAO
Irrigation and Drainage Paper 55." Table of Contents. N.p., n.d.
Web. 21 Apr. 2014
"Case Studies." Greenpeace International. N.p., n.d. Web. 21
Apr. 2014