Water Pollution

Water pollution is a major problem that affects groundwater, surface water, and oceans. Groundwater, which is an important source of clean drinking water, gets polluted from chemicals and toxins on land. Surface water, like rivers and lakes, is polluted by sewage and toxic waste dumped into them. Oceans suffer from oil spills and microplastics, which harm marine life and even humans. To address these issues, laws are being passed to prevent trash dumping, and individuals can help by recycling plastic and conserving water. We all need to work together to protect our planet. ------ Hello! And welcome back to the Eco-Podcast, where we talk about the Earth, its problems and how we can solve them. Last week we talked about air pollution and how dangerous it is to our planet. That's right. Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to life on Earth and we should all do our best to prevent it. But what about those other forms of pollution? Today we're going to focus on water pollution. Did you know that the Earth itself is about 71% water? We are constantly surrounded by it, from our oceans and lakes to the water we drink and use to cook. Water is an essential part of our life. Without it, we literally can't exist. But if water is so important to us, then why are we polluting it? Where does water pollution come from? Well, just like with air pollution, there are many different types and causes. The National Resources Defense Council identified a few different types, mainly groundwater, surface water and ocean water. Let's talk more about each one. Groundwater is all of the water that seeps into the cracks of the Earth and is stored underground. It is one of the most important sources of fresh, clean drinking water. In fact, around half of all people on Earth use groundwater as drinking water. Next time you pick up your water bottle, read the label. You'll probably find out that it comes from a groundwater source, like springs. Groundwater is also very important for farming. So, how does such an important water source get polluted? Groundwater is collected from water that flows on land and seeps through rocks and soil. Normally, this is what makes it so clean. The rocks and soil filter dirt and other bad things from the water. However, there are some things that can't be filtered out. Those things include chemicals from farming, toxic waste of oil and other pollutions on the surface of the Earth. Basically, if there's pollution on land, then there's pollution in groundwater. Once groundwater becomes polluted, it's almost impossible to clean it. A polluted source of groundwater can take hundreds of thousands of years to clean itself. Not only that, but contaminated groundwater can spread pollution to lakes, rivers and oceans. Clearly, this is a huge issue. We'll talk about how we can address it soon. But first, let's talk about the next type, surface water. Surface water is exactly what it sounds like. Most of the bodies of water above the surface of the Earth. This includes rivers, lakes, reservoirs and creeks, whether natural or man-made. These water sources are also very important. Not only do they provide us with drinking water, but they are home to millions of species of wildlife and plants. The Ganges River in India is the third largest in the world. It serves more than 2 billion people and it is considered sacred by Hindus. People often bathe and drink water from it for healing purposes. However, it is also one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Every day, millions of liters of raw sewage, toxic chemicals and hospital waste are dumped straight into the river. Large areas of the river are dead zones. These are areas of an ecosystem that have been so polluted that they can no longer support natural life like fish and plants. The Ganges isn't the only river in danger. Thousands of water sources around the world are in danger of drying up or being made unusable due to pollution. Finally, let's talk about the type of pollution that affects the biggest bodies of water on our planet – ocean pollution. Our oceans make up 97% of water on Earth. And even though we can't drink from them, they are home to countless species of life that are crucial to helping the Earth function. Unfortunately, our oceans are also extremely polluted. Let's talk about two of the biggest ocean pollutions – oil spills and microplastics. Over 1.5 million liters of oil have been spilled into our oceans since 1969, the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In 1989, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. There are also two specific instances of many accidents that have created a series of issues for ocean life. Oil spills create dead zones in large areas of the ocean, killing wildlife and preventing new life from forming. These oil spills also affect humans living near the coast. The oil infiltrates their beaches and can cause bad health effects for people who live and work close to the ocean. Another huge type of ocean pollution are microplastics. These are tiny pieces of human-made plastic. They often come in small beads used in cosmetics and toothpastes. They also include plastic that has been broken down into small pieces from shopping bags or clothing. Ocean animals often mistake these microplastics for food and eat them or get trapped inside of them. This kind of pollution has become so bad that scientists have discovered microplastics in humans. When we eat other animals that eat these plastics, they affect our bodies too. So, what are we doing to address these problems with our water? There are many, many ways that we can start solving this issue and cleaning up the water that we need to survive. Countries around the world are passing laws to stop big businesses from dumping their trash into the water and preserve rivers, lakes, and oceans in Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, we have the "Zakon za Opazne na Okolnata Sreda" or - The Environmental Protection Act. This law ensures that we are taking the steps to keep our water clean and usable. There are also everyday things we can do to help protect our waterways. One huge example is in our use of plastic. Recycling plastic bags and bottles helps them out of the ocean where they can do harm to marine animals. Many companies are now making bags out of safe, biodegradable material and people are encouraged to use their own reusable shopping bags when they go out to the store. It may seem like a tiny step, but this has greatly lowered the amount of plastic waste in oceans. Water conservation is another important topic. Only 3% of water on earth is fresh and most of that water is needed to keep ecosystems thriving. The less water we use for ourselves, the more there will be for the plants and animals that need it most. Also, conserving water reduces our energy usage as well, which further helps keep the planet clean. Right now, one of the most important steps we can tak is making sure that everyone atound the world has access to recycling and that their governments are able to enforce clean water flows. It sounds like we have a lot of work to do. We sure do, but if we all work together, then we will be able to make a difference. In our next episode, we'll talk about land pollution and discuss what we should do to make our planet a healthier place to live. See you in the next episode, and remember: The Earth loves you, so love her back!