If some of the water we are drinking is harmful to human health what about animals that dwell in the water? Has polluted water created non-viable habitats? To have a thriving and healthy ecosystem there is a complex web of animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi that directly or indirectly need to interact with each other. When harm comes to any of these organisms a chain reaction occurs, endangering an entire aquatic environment.
Water Pollution is caused from a variety of different things: industrial runoff, farming, lawn care, sewage malfunctions/mishandling, human activities, natural disasters, naturally occurring elements, etc. Once the water becomes polluted it is consumed by the various creatures living there - one of two things happens: those consumers get contaminated and eaten by bigger aquatic life contaminating them or they die off leaving a lack of food in the food chain. This creates a catastrophic domino effect - rendering some species extinct or on the verge of extinction.
There are many things, some simple, which you can do to prevent or limit water contamination:
1)
Reduce how much plastic you use and reuse or recycle when you can.
2)
Properly dispose of chemicals, cleaners, oils and non-biodegradable items to ensure
they do not go down the drain.
3)
Keep your car maintained so it doesn't leak antifreeze, coolant or oil.
4)
If you landscape your yard, avoid using pesticides and herbicides.
5)
If you have animals, be sure to pick up and dispose of their waste.
