Post 2 Team 6-1

Introduction
The main sources of water pollution are classified as municipal, industrial, and agricultural. Municipal water pollution comes from waste of homes and commercial establishments. Industrial wastewater comes from manufacturing and chemical processes. Agricultural waste includes fertilizers, livestock and poultry, is the source of organic and inorganic wastes in surface and ground water.

Source of Classification
The biggest source of domestic waste is from sewage and wastewaters, which includes human excretions, laundry water, and water used for cleaning. In developed countries, sewage pipes carry waste away. In developing countries, the people do not have sufficient sewage disposal systems and don’t have access to clean water and sanitary conditions. Untreated wastes can pose health risks to the environment and makes it easy to transmit diseases. The main source of agricultural waste is from fertilizers. When it rains, fertilizer, animal waste, sewage, or other substances rich with nitrogen and phosphorous on the ground flow into waterways. This addition of nutrients causes algae blooms, which causes a disruption in the ecosystem. The thick layer of algae now blocks out sunlight from reaching photosynthetic organisms underneath it. Additionally, the algae use up all of the oxygen, leaving none for native fish to the area. This is a natural process, but human activity has significantly increased the rate at which it occurs. This form of pollution is known as eutrophication, and can destroy the local community of organisms. Industrial facilities are also a major contributor to pollution.
When fossil fuels are burned, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are discharged into the atmosphere. These gasses mix with water in the air, forming sulfuric and nitric acids. These acids fall to Earth in the form of precipitation. Overtime, the acid concentration is so high in lakes, streams, and rivers that organisms in them die off. Also, land dwelling animals die if they were to drink the contaminated water.

Methods of Detection

Water pollution can be detected in laboratories, where water samples are tested for different contaminants. Scientists can use computer models to look at the dangers there can be in different types of water. The samples are analyzed, then the computer tells if it holds impurities. Living organisms can also be used to detect water pollution. If they experience change in growth or behavior, you can tell something is wrong with their water.

Repercussions

Repercussions go hand in hand with water pollution. Once of these repercussions is acid rain. Since the rain is acidic and therefore toxic, it eats up the nutrients in the soil. With bad soil, plants cannot grow and forests die off. Crops and food also diminish due to the acidic rain.

Health Risks
In the Indian village of Punjab, poorly treated wastes and the use of pesticides have heavily polluted the groundwater. The health of the villagers rapidly declined, as multiple disorders were found in them. 65% of the blood sampled was found with DNA mutations. Also, the rate of miscarriages in women increased rapidly, and the children that were born experienced slowed growth. In the proximity of the drainage area, villagers with gastrointestinal tissue, eye, and bone problems were also on the rise. Other conditions observed were Diarrhea, amoebiasis, giardiasis, ascariasis, and hookworm. Industry has also cause a myriad of conditions in people around develop areas. Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog, which collects over cities and industrious areas. When inhaled for long periods, smog can cause asthma and lung cancer. Smog can also inflame pulmonary glands to cause chest pains, throat irritation and coughing.

Preventive/Proactive Measures
There are several preventive measures and strategies to take into consideration when a problem is noted. One of the first things to do is find the source of the problem, such as overuse of fertilizers, illegal dumping, untreated wastes, or pollution from a local factory. It is always important to know how to fix this problem. The best thing to do is know whom to contact in this situation to fix the problem, whether it be sewage treatment facilities, landowners, or local authorities. As always, filters can be used to help clean up the water once it is polluted.

Cultural Factors
There are religions and cultures that effect water pollution. An example of this is Judaism. On the main holidays and some of the other holidays, the Jewish people aren’t supposed to “change” the electricity. This means that if the electronic was on when the holiday started, the people could not turn the electronic off until the end of the holiday. The person cannot use the electronic either. This also includes gas stoves. If the stove is on from cooking when the holiday starts, the person cannot turn off the gas until the end of the holiday. The person could lower the gas and heat to prevent burning the house, but the person could not turn it off completely. This belief and tradition wastes energy and gas. However, it can also save energy. If the electronic is off when the holiday starts, the electronic cannot be turned on until the end of the holiday.

Environmental Factors
Environmental factors also pose a threat to the health of society. When fertilizers and sewage are spilt into waterways, they increase the amounts of nutrients, increasing the population of algae. The exceptional growth depletes not only these nutrients, but also the oxygen in the water. This kills other organisms in the water. When the nutrient deposits stop, the algae dies, using more oxygen to decompose. When fossil fuels are burned, the gasses it releases forms with water vapor to form smog. The rain it releases if acidic, and kills plants, pollutes water, and depletes soil nutrients.

Socioeconomic Factors
Some socioeconomic trends show information on how groups of different people effect the environment in different ways. People of higher income tend to be wasteful when it comes to energy, water, and commodities, while lower income people tend to be less wasteful in these areas. For example, most people of the upper-class waste energy and gas on utilities such as heating, air-conditioning, and excessive water usage. People of the lower class try to save money, therefore, do not excessively use these utilities.

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