Water pollution is the contamination of water on our planet. It happens when any harful chemicals or substances contaminate the water by coming in contact with it or phisically floating in it too. The pollutants include fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural runoff, sewage and food processing waste; lead, mercury, and other heavy metals. Water is so easily polluted because water is known as the "universal solvent", meaning that it can disolve more substances then any other liquid on earth.
There are effects on the environment as well as us as humans because of water polltion. When water seeps into the ground during the water cycle it is called groundwater, even so 40 percent of all Americans get their drinking water form groundwater. If humans drink polluted water it can cause sickness, diseases, and maybe even death. Polluted water is dangerous for swimming, bathing, drinking, and fishing. Fishing can be dangerous because the organisms\fish in the water can have dieseases and sicknesses from the pollution, and when people consume any organism that has been infected by polution they can become sick. Water pollution in the ocean is very common. Oil spills, plastic waste, factory and farm chemicals and heavy metals cause the water to be polluted. The polluted water effects organisms like sea turtles, dolphins, otters and many more. Everytime it rains fertilizer, pestisides and animal waste runs into the waters. These excess nutrients/fertilizers can cause an increase in some algae populations and some algae species can be harmful to aquatic organisms,and humans. Unsafe water sickens about 1 billion people a year. Water pollution has effects on every organism on the planet from animals to humans.
