Question
Briefly outline the sources of different water pollutants.
Answer
Sources of different water pollutants:
- Industrial Discharges: Factories and industrial facilities can release pollutants such as heavy metals, chemicals, and toxins into water bodies.
- Agricultural Runoff: Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and animal waste from agricultural activities can wash into water sources through runoff, contaminating them.
- Municipal Wastewater: Untreated or inadequately treated sewage and wastewater from households and urban areas can introduce pathogens, nutrients, and other pollutants into water bodies.
- Mining Activities: Mining operations can release heavy metals, acids, and other harmful substances into water sources, contaminating them.
- Landfills and Waste Sites: Improperly managed landfills and waste disposal sites can generate leachate, a liquid that contains various pollutants, which can infiltrate groundwater and nearby water bodies.
- Oil and Fuel Spills: Accidental spills or leaks from oil and fuel storage facilities, transportation, and maritime activities can introduce petroleum hydrocarbons into water sources.
- Atmospheric Deposition: Airborne pollutants, such as heavy metals and acid rain, can settle onto the Earth’s surface, including bodies of water, through atmospheric deposition.
