Types of Water Pollution

The natural resource that is vulnerable to pollution is water. Compared to other liquids on earth, water is a solvent that is more universal because of its ability to dissolve more substances than others. Because of its nature, water is very vulnerable to pollution.

The Cause of Water Pollution

Water pollution is often caused by human activities. Water pollution itself is a process that makes water contaminated with other materials (chemical or non-chemical) which contain pollutant substances, thereby changing the physical, chemical, or biological properties of the water itself.

Changes in the properties of water have consequences that can harm living organisms. Water pollution can have an impact on the crisis of fresh water which then threatens the sustainability of drinking water sources and other important needs, for all living things on earth.

Types of Water Pollution

There is more than one type of water pollution, which can be classified as follows:

1. Microorganism Contamination

This type of pollution is pollution that occurs due to microorganisms that develop in the water. These microorganisms such as zooplankton and phytoplankton. In fact, microorganisms have a role to purify water. However, with excessive amounts, microorganisms can contaminate the water and make it more cloudy.

2. Plant Nutrient Organic Pollution

Water can be polluted by organics from plant nutrients. This is closely related to agriculture. For agricultural activities, the use of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers on plants is proven to prevent pests and make plants more fertile. However, the use of this fertilizer has a negative impact on water. Chemical fertilizers used for plants, if dissolved into water it will change its purity and make it contaminated.

3. Inorganic Chemical Pollution

Water pollution by inorganic chemicals is closely related to daily activities carried out by humans. Many materials used by humans contain inorganic chemicals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury which lead to water contamination.

4. Organic Chemical Pollution

Not much different from inorganic chemical pollution, water pollution by organic chemicals is closely related to human daily activities. There are chemicals that are organic in nature such as plastics, oils, and pesticides.

Those are the types of water pollution. After knowing the types of water pollution and at a glance about the causes, don’t forget to always maintain environmental health for a better standard of living, Sobat Vini!