Water Pollution
By Keara Simmons
Here at Home
At some point today, you've probably gone to the water fountain, or grabbed a glass and filled it up at the sink. You've also most likely gone to the bathroom in a flushable toilet, then washed your hands. These everyday tasks are so normal to us that we don't even consider them important. If you were living in an undeveloped country, however, your daily routine might look very different.
Water pollution is the leading killer of our world, and so many people are unaware of this because of our ability to get clean water so easily. Water is essential to human life; the human body can last up to a month without food, but only a few days without water. When the only water some areas have access to is polluted, the people living there risk death by dehydration, or the diseases and health problems that come from using polluted water.
Cambodia
- Rainwater wells - breeding ground for parasites/mosquitos
- Toxins from improper waste disposal
- Lack of infrastructure for dealing with excess water in rainy season - road pollution
84% of the population does not have access to clean drinking water.
India
- Overpopulated - poverty high and lack of sanitation sytems
- Running out of water - huge grain producer (requires lots of water)
- Agricultural runoff pollution
21% of communicable diseases are associated with unsafe water.
China
- Lack of environmental oversight
- Industrial pollution - chemicals in water and extreme air pollution
- Lacks sewage and water infrastructure - dumped right back to the ground
60% of groundwater in China is polluted and cannot be used without treatment.
Solutions
Cambodia: receiving funding from organizations for water purification systems
India: improving filtration systems for agricultural runoff water
China: new regulations on enforcement of preventing pollution in cities