Public Health Assignment

On Water Pollution and Global Warming

Submitted to: Dr. Maleeha Azeem (Mea)

Submitted By: Mushfiqur Rahman
Id: 1110685030 Section: 7

INDEX:
WATER POLLUTION: o WHAT IS WATER POLLUTION? o THE SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION o THE COMMON POLLUTANTS o HEALTH HAZARDS OF WATER POLLUTION

GLOBAL WARMING: o WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING? o CAUSES OF GLOBAL WARMING o CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL WARMING

REFERENCES

WATER POLLUTION
What Is Water Pollution?
Water pollution refers to degradation of water quality. It is a large set of adverse effects upon water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater caused by human activities. Water pollution can be defined as "the presence of a substance in the environment that because of its chemical composition or quantity prevents the functioning of natural processes and produces undesirable environmental and health effects Water pollution can be defined in many ways. Usually, it means one or more substances have built up in water to such an extent that they cause problems for animals or people. This could affect the health of all the plants, animals, and humans whose lives depend on the river.

Dozens of times a day those of us who live in the industrialized nations of the world enjoy a blessing denied to 75 percent of the world population: abundant supplies of clean water. For centuries water has been used as a dumping ground for human sewage and industrial wastes. Added to them are the materials leached out and transported from land by water percolating through the soil and running off its surface to aquatic ecosystems. Thus the term water pollution refers to "Water contamination by a variety of chemical substances or eutrophication caused by several nutrients and fertilizers (Southwick, 1976)".

Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities.

U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare defines water pollution as "The adding to water of any substance, or the changing of water's physical and chemical characteristics in any way which interferes with its use of legitimate purposes".

Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human use, such as drinking water, and/or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms, and earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and the ecological status of water.

The sources of Water Pollution:

There two major kinds of pollution sources: - Point sources - Non-point sources

Point sources:
Point source water pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway from a single, identifiable source, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain. The U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) defines point source for regulatory enforcement purposes. The CWA definition of point source was amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as industrial storm water, such as from construction sites.

Nonpoint sources:
Nonpoint source pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a single discrete source. NPS pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. A common example is the leaching out of nitrogen compounds from fertilized agricultural lands. Nutrient runoff in storm water from "sheet flow" over an agricultural field or a forest is also cited as examples of NPS pollution. Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and highways, called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the category of NPS pollution. However, this runoff is typically channeled into storm drain systems and discharged through pipes to local surface waters, and is a point source. However where such water is not channeled and drains directly to ground it is a non-point source.

The Common Pollutants:

Infectious Agents
These are disease causing agents or pathogens, e.g. bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasites. These come from raw sewage and animal waste. These are measured by the amount of Coliform bacteria present.

Oxygen-demanding wastes
Sewage, animal manure or biodegradable organic wastes, which can be decomposed by aerobic bacteria which cause a reduction in dissolved oxygen (DO) results in suffocating for oxygenconsuming organisms (fish). These are measured by biological oxygen demand (BOD).

Water soluble Inorganic chemicals

Water-soluble inorganic chemicals, includes acids, salts, and metals. Make water unfit to consume and use for irrigation. Also can harm organisms and cause material corrosion.

Organic chemicals

Detergents Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected drinking water, such as chloroform Food processing waste, which can include oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organ halides and other chemical compounds Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels (gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil) and lubricants (motor oil), and fuel combustion byproducts, from storm water runoff.

Tree and bush debris from logging operations Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as industrial solvents, from improper storage. Chlorinated solvents, which are dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), may fall to the bottom of reservoirs, since they don't mix well with water and are denser.
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Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) Trichloroethylene

Perchlorate Various chemical compounds found in personal hygiene and cosmetic products

Inorganic water pollutants include:

Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially sulfur dioxide from power plants) Ammonia from food processing waste Chemical waste as industrial by-products Fertilizers containing nutrients--nitrates and phosphates--which are found in storm water runoff from agriculture, as well as commercial and residential use

Heavy metals from motor vehicles (via urban storm water runoff) and acid mine drainage Silt (sediment) in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and burn practices or land clearing sites

Macroscopic pollutionlarge visible items polluting the watermay be termed "floatables" in an

urban storm water context, or marine debris when found on the open seas, and can include such items as:

Trash or garbage (e.g. paper, plastic, or food waste) discarded by people on the ground, along with accidental or intentional dumping of rubbish, that are washed by rainfall into storm drains and eventually discharged into surface waters

Nurdles, small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets Shipwrecks, large derelict ships

Thermal pollution
Thermal pollution is the rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water caused by human influence. Thermal pollution, unlike chemical pollution, results in a change in the physical properties of water. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Elevated water temperatures decreases oxygen levels (which can kill fish) and affects ecosystem composition, such as invasion by new thermophilic species. Urban runoff may also elevate temperature in surface waters. Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of very cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers. Plant nutrients Nitrates, phosphates, ammonium originated mostly from fertilizers. Cause excessive algal and plant growth (algal bloom) that lower oxygen levels when they decompose leading to eutrophication (lectures on Ecology and Agriculture). Sediment Mud, silt, sand which disrupts photosynthesis and transports large amounts of other, adsorbed pollutants. These are bad for Aquatic animals.

Radioactive materials Radium, uranium, etc. may come either from natural or anthropogenic sources. Heat From cooling water for power plants & other industrial plants which lowers solubility of oxygen in water. Also affect aquatic lives directly.

The Health Hazards of Water Pollution:

Water-borne diseases are infectious diseases spread primarily through contaminated water. Though these diseases are spread either directly or through flies or filth, water is the chief medium for spread of these diseases and hence they are termed as water-borne diseases.

Most intestinal (enteric) diseases are infectious and are transmitted through fecal waste. Pathogens which include virus, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms - are diseaseproducing agents found in the feces of infected persons. These diseases are more prevalent in areas with poor sanitary conditions. These pathogens travel through water sources and interfuses directly through persons handling food and water. Since these diseases are highly infectious, extreme care and hygiene should be maintained by people looking after an infected patient. Hepatitis, cholera, dysentery, and typhoid are the more common water-borne diseases that affect large populations in the tropical regions.

Freshwater resources all over the world are threatened not only by over exploitation and poor management but also by ecological degradation. The main source of freshwater pollution can be attributed to discharge of untreated waste, dumping of industrial effluent, and run-off from agricultural fields. Industrial growth, urbanization and the increasing use of synthetic organic substances have serious and adverse impacts on freshwater bodies. It is a generally accepted fact that the developed countries suffer from problems of chemical discharge into the water sources mainly groundwater, while developing countries face problems of agricultural run-off in water sources. Polluted water like chemicals in drinking water causes problem to health and leads to water-borne diseases which can be prevented by taking measures can be taken even at the household level.

A large number of chemicals that either exist naturally in the land or are added due to human activity dissolve in the water, thereby contaminating it and leading to various diseases.

Pesticides. The organophosphates and the carbonates present in pesticides affect and damage the nervous system and can cause cancer. Some of the pesticides contain carcinogens that exceed recommended levels. They contain chlorides that cause reproductive and endocrinal damage.

Lead. Lead is hazardous to health as it accumulates in the body and affects the central nervous system. Children and pregnant women are most at risk.

Fluoride. Excess fluorides can cause yellowing of the teeth and damage to the spinal cord and other crippling diseases.

Nitrates. Drinking water that gets contaminated with nitrates can prove fatal especially to infants that drink formula milk as it restricts the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain causing the blue baby syndrome. It is also linked to digestive tract cancers. It causes algae to bloom resulting in eutrophication in surface water.

Petrochemicals. Benzene and other petrochemicals can cause cancer even at low exposure levels.

Chlorinated solvents. These are linked to reproduction disorders and to some cancers. Arsenic. Arsenic poisoning through water can cause liver and nervous system damage, vascular diseases and also skin cancer. Other heavy metals. Heavy metals cause damage to the nervous system and the kidney, and other metabolic disruptions.

Salts. It makes the fresh water unusable for drinking and irrigation purposes. Exposure to polluted water can cause diarrhea, skin irritation, respiratory problems, and other diseases, depending on the pollutant that is in the water body. Stagnant water and other untreated water provide a habitat for the mosquito and a host of other parasites and insects that cause a large number of diseases especially in the tropical regions. Among these, malaria is undoubtedly the most widely distributed and causes most damage to human health.

Common Diseases Transmitted to Humans through Contaminated Drinking Water

Type of Organism Disease

Bacteria Typhoid fever

Effects
Diarrhea, severe vomiting, enlarged spleen, inflamed intestine; often fatal if untreated

Cholera

Diarrhea, severe vomiting, dehydration; often fatal if untreated

Bacterial dysentery

Diarrhea; rarely fatal except in infants without proper treatment

Enteritis

Severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; rarely fatal

Viruses

Infectious hepatitis

Fever, severe headache, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, jaundice, enlarged liver; rarely fatal but may cause permanent liver damage

Parasitic protozoa

Amoebic dysentery

Severe diarrhea, headache, abdominal pain, chills, fever; if not treated can cause liver abscess, bowel perforation, and death

Giardiasis

Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, flatulence, belching, fatigue

Parasitic worms

Schistosomiasis

Abdominal pain, skin rash, anemia, chronic fatigue, and chronic general ill health

Water Pollution Diseases: According to some estimates, every year few millions of Americans are sickened by polluted water. Water pollution involves the pollution of surface waters and/or groundwater which may cause a series of diseases referred to as water pollution diseases. These could have serious health impacts. Water pollution travels slower than air pollution but still may affect large areas. Water may commonly be polluted by two main categories of pollutants (dissolved or suspended in water): 1. Chemicals including natural or man-made (xenobiotics) chemicals that gets into a water body (dissolved or dispersed in the water) reaching concentrations of health concern; please note that similar with the case of air pollutants, the presence of such pollutants in water is not always obvious and may not be detected by our senses. Common problematic chemicals getting into water are pesticides, chlorinated solvents, petroleum chemicals, mercury, PCBs, dioxins and other persisting organic pollutants; as well as any of the tens of thousands of chemicals used in industrial processes. 2. Living organisms (as long as they are induced by human activity; please note that some waters unaffected by human activity may still be naturally polluted with some of these organisms in which case, the caused diseases may not be seen as pollution diseases): a. Pathogens including a variety of living organisms (usually from animal waste) such as various species of viruses, bacteria, fungi and intestinal worms. Their presence in water, many times, remains unnoticed. b. Algae some types of algae are toxic and may overgrow due to the presence of nitrates and phosphates in runoff water (especially agricultural runoff); such overgrowth is usually referred to as red tide or brown tides. Their toxin may affect the food chain including fish and birds, and ultimately humans. Oxygen depletion in polluted water is another serious problem responsible for killing fishes. All over the world. While the most common water pollution diseases involve poisoning episodes affecting the digestive system and human infectious diseases, water pollution may cause a large variety of health diseases including:

Infectious diseases caused by pathogens (usually microorganisms) from animal fecal origins, of which the most common occur in developing countries involving:
o o o o o

Typhoid Giardiasis Amoebiasis Ascariasis Hookworm

Diseases caused by polluted beach water including:

o o o o o o o

Gastroenteritis Dhiarrhea Encephalitis Stomach cramps and aches Vomiting Hepatitis Respiratory infections

Liver damage and even cancer (due to DNA damage) caused by a series of chemicals (e.g., chlorinated solvents, MTBE)

Kidney damage caused by a series of chemicals Neurological problems - damage of the nervous system usually due to the presence of chemicals such as pesticides (i.e., DDT)

Reproductive and endocrine damage including interrupted sexual development, inability to breed, degraded immune function, decreased fertility and increase in some types of cancers caused by a series of chemicals including endocrine disruptors which

Thyroid system disorders (a common example is exposure through perchlorate which is a chemical contaminating large water bodies such as Colorado River)

Increased water pollution creates breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes killing 1.22.7 million people a year

A series of less serious health effects could be associated by bathing into contaminated water (i.e., polluted beach water) including:
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Rashes Ear aches Pink eyes

GLOBAL WARMING
What is Global Warming?
Global warming means a long-term rise in global average temperature. The temperature at or near the surface of the Earth is determined by four main factors: The amount of sunlight Earth receives. The amount of sunlight Earth reflects. Retention of heat by the atmosphere. Evaporation and condensation of water vapor.

More particularly, the constant increase in temperature that started a century ago is assumed to be caused mostly by pollution from human activities, including the combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation. In fact, global warming represents an enhancement of the greenhouse effect. The anthropogenic greenhouse effect would be a more suitable term for global warming. The Greenhouse Effect is what keeps Earth warm enough for people to live on (If there was no such GH effect the Earths average temperature which would be 34-35 0C colder than it is now. The average global air temperature is about 15 0C), but a build-up in the gases that generate this warmth is overheating our planet and causing global warming. Increasing temperatures have already resulted in an increase in extreme weather events, loss of sea ice and glaciers, rising sea level, and harm to wildlife.

Causes of Global Warming:

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Carbon dioxide is the most vital anthropogenic greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide is released from the interior of the Earth (volcanoes), and produced by respiration of biota, soil processes, oceanic evaporation, as well as human activities, such as deforestation (which causes 20% of the annual increase in this gas) and burning of fossil fuels. Deforestation might be sending an annual 4 billion tons of Fig: CO2 Emission

carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that would otherwise be absorbed by plants during their metabolic processes.

Automobile exhausts causes 30% of carbon dioxide emissions in developed countries. The generation of carbon dioxide as a result of combustion of fossil fuels suggests that if the present trends continue, then its concentration will double every 50 years.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CF2Cl2 and CFCl3), better known as Freon F-11 and F-12, correspondingly, are entirely anthropogenically produced, are very persistent compounds, used in spray cans as aerosol propellants and in refrigeration units. They were not present in the atmosphere until the 1930s. Due to their persistence and to their high efficiency in absorbing thermal IR, each CFC molecule has the ability to cause the similar amount of global warming, as much as tens of thousands of carbon dioxide molecules do. It has been anticipated that around 15% to 25% of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect may be connected to CFCs in the atmosphere. Because CFCs are highly stable compounds, their residence time in the atmosphere is lengthy. Even if production of these chemicals is reduced drastically or eliminated within the next few years, their concentrations in the atmosphere will remain significant for many years, perhaps for as long as a century.

Water Vapor
Indeed, water vapor is the most significant greenhouse gas in the Earths atmosphere, in the sense that it produces more warming than does any other gas. Though on a per molecule basis, it is a less efficient absorber than is carbon dioxide. On a global scale water vapor is unaffected by anthropogenic sources and sinks. As a result, water is not normally listed explicitly among gases whose increasing concentrations are enhancing the greenhouse effect. Methane (CH4) Major natural contributors are termites as they process wood. Today, rice culture, domestic ruminant animals, landfills, and our own use of methane as a fuel source supply additional methane to the atmosphere. Methane is 21 times more effective than carbon dioxide in

maintaining heat in the atmosphere. This results in the deaths of numerous marine animals. About 70% of current emissions of methane are anthropogenic in origin. Methane contributes 15% to 20% to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect. The short atmospheric lifetime of methane suggests that efforts to reduce methane emissions could be successful in delaying the raise in the rate of global warming. Yet, control of methane sources is doubtful, since the key sources involve agricultural practices that would be very difficult to change.

 Nitrous Oxide (N2O)

Nitrous oxide, which is comparatively inert, originates primarily from microbial activity in soils and the oceans, by industrial combustion, automobiles, aircraft, biomass burning, and as a result of the use of chemical fertilizers. It could be reduced by more watchful use of nitrogencontaining fertilizers. Nitrous oxide is a stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide or methane, although it contributes only 5% to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect. Per molecule, nitrous oxide is 206 times as capable as carbon dioxide in causing an immediate increase in global warming. However, this gas also has a long residence time; even if emissions were stabilized or reduced, elevated concentrations of nitrous oxide would carry on for at least several decades.

Hydrogenated halocarbons (HFCs and HCFCs):

These are also entirely anthropogenic gases. They have increased sharply in the atmosphere over the last few decades, following their use as alternative for CFCs. They usually have lifetimes of a few years, but still have significant greenhouse effect.

Ozone Gas (O3)

Like methane and nitrous oxide, Ozone is a natural greenhouse gas, but one which has a short residence period. Ozone is formed in the troposphere as a result of pollution from power plants and motor vehicles, and from forest fires and grass fires, as well as from natural processes (i.e., by light-induced reaction of pollutants and the phenomenon is called photochemical smog). As a result of these anthropogenic activities, the levels of ozone in the troposphere most likely have increased since preindustrial times. Approximately 10% of the increased global warming potential of the atmosphere, results from the increases in troposphere ozone, though the value is uncertain.

Consequences of Global Warming:

Negative impacts:
On climate:

Rising Seas: Greenhouse gases make sea level rise due to thermal expansion of sea water and melting of polar and mountain ice. The increase in temperature results to sea level raise from melting glaciers and polar ice caps (adds 0.2 mm annually). It is estimated to be up to 1 meter by
2100. The coastal zone (100 km from the sea) contains: 1.5 billion people thats 1 in 4 people

and 17 out of 20 of the worlds largest cities which are now endangered because of global warming. Results are: flooding of low-lying islands and coastal cities, flooding of coastal estuaries, wetlands and coral reefs, beach erosion, disruption of coastal fisheries, contamination of coastal aquifers with salt water, increase in the vulnerability of coastal areas to flooding from storm surges and intense rainfall. Drier conditions: Growing temperatures will also cause drier condition in many important agricultural regions. The rise of temperature, even to a few degrees, could lead to the melting of ice shelves that hold back glaciers. This results in rising sea levels. The Larsen areas of North Antarctic, South of Chili and Argentina have lost more than 5,200 sq miles of area due to meltdown of ice caps and glaciers. Changes in rainfall patterns: Droughts and fires in some areas, flooding in other areas. Increased likelihood of extreme events: Such as flooding, hurricanes, etc. Melting of the ice caps: Loss of habitat near the poles. Polar bears are now considered to be seriously endangered by the shortening of their feeding season due to dwindling ice packs. Melting glaciers: Significant melting of old glaciers is already observed. Increased pollution: High temperature can increase pollution of water and air, which harms the human body

Biodiversity: Extinction of some plant and animal species, loss of habitats, disruption of aquatic life.

Water resources: Disruption in water cycle; increase in evaporation will cause some areas to become drier (increased drought), while the increased moisture in the air will result in greater rainfall in other areas; changes in water supply, decreased water quality, , increased water pollution from coastal flooding.

Weather Extremes: Prolonged heat waves and droughts, violent storms with more frequency and intensity.

Forestry: Changes in forest composition and locations, disappearance of some forests,

increased fire from drying, loss of wildlife habitat and species.

On sea life:
Coral Reef Bleaching: Change in temperature and elevated sea level cause loss of algae in the coral. Coral appears white, or bleached. Result is mass death of sea animals, which are dependent on the coral reef. E.g. the penguin population near Antarctica has been declining as the distance between them and their food has increased On other living beings: Global warming can disrupt the migration, hibernation and reproductive cycles of certain types of animals. Plants and animals will find it difficult to escape or adjust to the consequences of global warming because humans occupy so much land. Farmland or cities disrupt the movement of species between habitats. Changes in forest composition and locations, disappearance of some forests, increased fire from drying, loss of wildlife habitat and species.

On human:
Loss of life: Extreme temperatures can directly cause the loss of life (ex: 35,000 people died during heat wave in Europe, Aug03). Warmer weather provides an ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes. Diseases such as West Nile will be more common. Food Production: Shift in food growing areas, changes in crop yield, increased irrigation demands, increased pests, crop diseases, and weeds in warmer areas. It is the poorest countries, where many already are subject to hunger, that are the most likely to suffer significant decreases in agricultural productivity.

Tropical diseases: Global Warming increases drought which lessens the supply of clean drinking water. E.g. Cholera. It increases temperature providing an ideal breeding environment for

mosquitoes. E.g. Dengue fever, Malaria, Yellow fever Public Health Impacts of Global Warming Heat waves and deaths from hyperthermia Fresh water shortages (due to combined effects of global warming, overpopulation and water pollution) with wars fought over fresh water Air pollution related to greenhouse gases (increased disease and death due to heart attack, stroke, asthma, emphysema, lung cancer, allergy) Ozone depletion leading to increased cataracts, melanoma Extreme weather events (floods and storms) Water-borne and food-borne diseases (toxic algal blooms like red tide, survival of viral pathogens leading to shellfish poisoning, cholera) Vector-borne and rodent-borne diseases (mosquitoes, ticks, rodents) Elevated seas levels (population exodus, aquifers threatened in San Francisco and New Orleans) Crop failures and famine Economic and political stress may damage public health infrastructure Vector Bone Disease: Disease in humans carried from another warm-blooded animal by an insect such as a mosquito, tick or sand fly. In 1877 scientists showed for the first

time that blood-sucking insects were able to carry disease from one warm-blooded animal to another. . Infectious diseases: The following diseases are potentially spread by global warming Leishmaniasis Kyasanur Forest disease La Crosse encephalitis Eastern equine encephalitis Japanese encephalitis Oropouche Western equine encephalitis Venezuelan equine encephalitis Onchocerciasi Dengue fever Malaria Yellow fever Chickungunya fever Epidemic polyarthritis West Nile fever St. Louis encephalitis Lyme disease Ehrlichiosis Plague Loaiasis

Impact on air:
The atmospheres ultimate fate is unclear. More evaporation increase in cloud cover Clouds close to the earth reflect sunlight cooling effect. Clouds high in the atmosphere trap heat warming effect.

Generally: Cloud cover increases Levels of the greenhouse gas methane may increase Hurricanes range farther north, south on warmer water

On Bangladesh:
This is a topographic map designed to emphasize portions of Bangladesh that are near sea level and hence could potentially be vulnerable to sea level rise. With a population of ~150 million, Bangladesh is the 7th most populous country on Earth and has the highest population density of any country larger than 1000 km2 in area. As large portions of Bangladesh are near sea level, sea level rise here has the potential to displace tens of millions of people. 1 meter rise in sea level will mean: 15-17% of the country under water Displacement of 15-20 million people

Positive impacts:
Not all of the effects of global warming appear to be negative ones, however, despite the barrage of predicted woes.

In colder areas:
In many colder areas, for instance, warmer temperatures would extend the growing season. Northern countries like Canada and Russia, along with the more northern areas of the United States, should reap the rewards of longer growing seasons. Several studies have shown that, while some regions will suffer agriculturally, Americas nationwide food production will not decline substantially. In fact, recent assessments recommend that the beneficial effects of climate change would probably offset the adverse ones in Americas general agricultural production. A 1995 study

conducted by the USDA concluded that even a three to five degree Celsius warming of the atmosphere shouldnt effect Americas agricultural production notably.

In agriculture:
Even the very thing that is the main cause of global warming could be beneficial to agriculture. The higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere should increase the efficiency with which plants use water, possibly offsetting some of the undesirable effects of dryer soils. Higher levels of carbon dioxide also have a fertilizing effect that would allow plants to grow more quickly. A carbon dioxide concentration of 550 ppm (parts per million) could raise crop yields in some areas by thirty to forty percent. Along with the promising positive effects of increased carbon dioxide concentration, warmer temperatures would make it lucrative to cultivate new land, which could result in a 0.2 to 1.2 percent increase in agricultural production.

References:
For Water Pollution: www.csshome.com/WaterMarine.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water pollution www.water-pollution.org.uk/ www.water-pollution.org.uk/causes.html www.epa.gov/ebtpages/watewaterpollution.html For Global Warming: http://www.ipcc.ch http://www.weathervane.rff.org/ http://www.igpp.lanl.gov www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-global-warming www.edf.org/climate/global-warming-facts