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Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know

Our rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and seas are drowning in chemicals, waste, plastic, and other pollutants. Here’s why―and what you can do to help.

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What is water pollution?

What are the causes of water pollution, categories of water pollution, what are the effects of water pollution, what can you do to prevent water pollution.

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.

This widespread problem of water pollution is jeopardizing our health. Unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined. Meanwhile, our drinkable water sources are finite: Less than 1 percent of the earth’s freshwater is actually accessible to us. Without action, the challenges will only increase by 2050, when global demand for freshwater is expected to be one-third greater than it is now.

Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a “universal solvent,” water is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth. It’s the reason we have Kool-Aid and brilliant blue waterfalls. It’s also why water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve into and mix with it, causing water pollution.

Here are some of the major sources of water pollution worldwide:

Agricultural

Toxic green algae in Copco Reservoir, northern California

Aurora Photos/Alamy

Not only is the agricultural sector the biggest consumer of global freshwater resources, with farming and livestock production using about 70 percent of the earth’s surface water supplies , but it’s also a serious water polluter. Around the world, agriculture is the leading cause of water degradation. In the United States, agricultural pollution is the top source of contamination in rivers and streams, the second-biggest source in wetlands, and the third main source in lakes. It’s also a major contributor of contamination to estuaries and groundwater. Every time it rains, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste from farms and livestock operations wash nutrients and pathogens—such bacteria and viruses—into our waterways. Nutrient pollution , caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water or air, is the number-one threat to water quality worldwide and can cause algal blooms , a toxic soup of blue-green algae that can be harmful to people and wildlife.

Sewage and wastewater

Used water is wastewater. It comes from our sinks, showers, and toilets (think sewage) and from commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities (think metals, solvents, and toxic sludge). The term also includes stormwater runoff , which occurs when rainfall carries road salts, oil, grease, chemicals, and debris from impermeable surfaces into our waterways

More than 80 percent of the world’s wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or reused, according to the United Nations; in some least-developed countries, the figure tops 95 percent. In the United States, wastewater treatment facilities process about 34 billion gallons of wastewater per day . These facilities reduce the amount of pollutants such as pathogens, phosphorus, and nitrogen in sewage, as well as heavy metals and toxic chemicals in industrial waste, before discharging the treated waters back into waterways. That’s when all goes well. But according to EPA estimates, our nation’s aging and easily overwhelmed sewage treatment systems also release more than 850 billion gallons of untreated wastewater each year.

Oil pollution

Big spills may dominate headlines, but consumers account for the vast majority of oil pollution in our seas, including oil and gasoline that drips from millions of cars and trucks every day. Moreover, nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil that makes its way into marine environments each year comes not from tanker spills but from land-based sources such as factories, farms, and cities. At sea, tanker spills account for about 10 percent of the oil in waters around the world, while regular operations of the shipping industry—through both legal and illegal discharges—contribute about one-third. Oil is also naturally released from under the ocean floor through fractures known as seeps.

Radioactive substances

Radioactive waste is any pollution that emits radiation beyond what is naturally released by the environment. It’s generated by uranium mining, nuclear power plants, and the production and testing of military weapons, as well as by universities and hospitals that use radioactive materials for research and medicine. Radioactive waste can persist in the environment for thousands of years, making disposal a major challenge. Consider the decommissioned Hanford nuclear weapons production site in Washington, where the cleanup of 56 million gallons of radioactive waste is expected to cost more than $100 billion and last through 2060. Accidentally released or improperly disposed of contaminants threaten groundwater, surface water, and marine resources.

To address pollution and protect water we need to understand where the pollution is coming from (point source or nonpoint source) and the type of water body its impacting (groundwater, surface water, or ocean water).

Where is the pollution coming from?

Point source pollution.

When contamination originates from a single source, it’s called point source pollution. Examples include wastewater (also called effluent) discharged legally or illegally by a manufacturer, oil refinery, or wastewater treatment facility, as well as contamination from leaking septic systems, chemical and oil spills, and illegal dumping. The EPA regulates point source pollution by establishing limits on what can be discharged by a facility directly into a body of water. While point source pollution originates from a specific place, it can affect miles of waterways and ocean.

Nonpoint source

Nonpoint source pollution is contamination derived from diffuse sources. These may include agricultural or stormwater runoff or debris blown into waterways from land. Nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water pollution in U.S. waters, but it’s difficult to regulate, since there’s no single, identifiable culprit.

Transboundary

It goes without saying that water pollution can’t be contained by a line on a map. Transboundary pollution is the result of contaminated water from one country spilling into the waters of another. Contamination can result from a disaster—like an oil spill—or the slow, downriver creep of industrial, agricultural, or municipal discharge.

What type of water is being impacted?

Groundwater pollution.

When rain falls and seeps deep into the earth, filling the cracks, crevices, and porous spaces of an aquifer (basically an underground storehouse of water), it becomes groundwater—one of our least visible but most important natural resources. Nearly 40 percent of Americans rely on groundwater, pumped to the earth’s surface, for drinking water. For some folks in rural areas, it’s their only freshwater source. Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants—from pesticides and fertilizers to waste leached from landfills and septic systems—make their way into an aquifer, rendering it unsafe for human use. Ridding groundwater of contaminants can be difficult to impossible, as well as costly. Once polluted, an aquifer may be unusable for decades, or even thousands of years. Groundwater can also spread contamination far from the original polluting source as it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.

Surface water pollution

Covering about 70 percent of the earth, surface water is what fills our oceans, lakes, rivers, and all those other blue bits on the world map. Surface water from freshwater sources (that is, from sources other than the ocean) accounts for more than 60 percent of the water delivered to American homes. But a significant pool of that water is in peril. According to the most recent surveys on national water quality from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nearly half of our rivers and streams and more than one-third of our lakes are polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing, and drinking. Nutrient pollution, which includes nitrates and phosphates, is the leading type of contamination in these freshwater sources. While plants and animals need these nutrients to grow, they have become a major pollutant due to farm waste and fertilizer runoff. Municipal and industrial waste discharges contribute their fair share of toxins as well. There’s also all the random junk that industry and individuals dump directly into waterways.

Ocean water pollution

Eighty percent of ocean pollution (also called marine pollution) originates on land—whether along the coast or far inland. Contaminants such as chemicals, nutrients, and heavy metals are carried from farms, factories, and cities by streams and rivers into our bays and estuaries; from there they travel out to sea. Meanwhile, marine debris— particularly plastic —is blown in by the wind or washed in via storm drains and sewers. Our seas are also sometimes spoiled by oil spills and leaks—big and small—and are consistently soaking up carbon pollution from the air. The ocean absorbs as much as a quarter of man-made carbon emissions .

On human health

To put it bluntly: Water pollution kills. In fact, it caused 1.8 million deaths in 2015, according to a study published in The Lancet . Contaminated water can also make you ill. Every year, unsafe water sickens about 1 billion people. And low-income communities are disproportionately at risk because their homes are often closest to the most polluting industries.

Waterborne pathogens, in the form of disease-causing bacteria and viruses from human and animal waste, are a major cause of illness from contaminated drinking water . Diseases spread by unsafe water include cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Even in wealthy nations, accidental or illegal releases from sewage treatment facilities, as well as runoff from farms and urban areas, contribute harmful pathogens to waterways. Thousands of people across the United States are sickened every year by Legionnaires’ disease (a severe form of pneumonia contracted from water sources like cooling towers and piped water), with cases cropping up from California’s Disneyland to Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

A woman using bottled water to wash her three-week-old son at their home in Flint, Michigan

Todd McInturf/The Detroit News/AP

Meanwhile, the plight of residents in Flint, Michigan —where cost-cutting measures and aging water infrastructure created a lead contamination crisis—offers a stark look at how dangerous chemical and other industrial pollutants in our water can be. The problem goes far beyond Flint and involves much more than lead, as a wide range of chemical pollutants—from heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury to pesticides and nitrate fertilizers —are getting into our water supplies. Once they’re ingested, these toxins can cause a host of health issues, from cancer to hormone disruption to altered brain function. Children and pregnant women are particularly at risk.

Even swimming can pose a risk. Every year, 3.5 million Americans contract health issues such as skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, and hepatitis from sewage-laden coastal waters, according to EPA estimates.

On the environment

In order to thrive, healthy ecosystems rely on a complex web of animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi—all of which interact, directly or indirectly, with each other. Harm to any of these organisms can create a chain effect, imperiling entire aquatic environments.

When water pollution causes an algal bloom in a lake or marine environment, the proliferation of newly introduced nutrients stimulates plant and algae growth, which in turn reduces oxygen levels in the water. This dearth of oxygen, known as eutrophication , suffocates plants and animals and can create “dead zones,” where waters are essentially devoid of life. In certain cases, these harmful algal blooms can also produce neurotoxins that affect wildlife, from whales to sea turtles.

Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater contaminate waterways as well. These contaminants are toxic to aquatic life—most often reducing an organism’s life span and ability to reproduce—and make their way up the food chain as predator eats prey. That’s how tuna and other big fish accumulate high quantities of toxins, such as mercury.

Marine ecosystems are also threatened by marine debris , which can strangle, suffocate, and starve animals. Much of this solid debris, such as plastic bags and soda cans, gets swept into sewers and storm drains and eventually out to sea, turning our oceans into trash soup and sometimes consolidating to form floating garbage patches. Discarded fishing gear and other types of debris are responsible for harming more than 200 different species of marine life.

Meanwhile, ocean acidification is making it tougher for shellfish and coral to survive. Though they absorb about a quarter of the carbon pollution created each year by burning fossil fuels, oceans are becoming more acidic. This process makes it harder for shellfish and other species to build shells and may impact the nervous systems of sharks, clownfish, and other marine life.

With your actions

We’re all accountable to some degree for today’s water pollution problem. Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can prevent water contamination or at least limit your contribution to it:

• Learn about the unique qualities of water where you live . Where does your water come from? Is the wastewater from your home treated? Where does stormwater flow to? Is your area in a drought? Start building a picture of the situation so you can discover where your actions will have the most impact—and see if your neighbors would be interested in joining in!
• Reduce your plastic consumption and reuse or recycle plastic when you can.
• Properly dispose of chemical cleaners, oils, and nonbiodegradable items to keep them from going down the drain.
• Maintain your car so it doesn’t leak oil, antifreeze, or coolant.
• If you have a yard, consider landscaping that reduces runoff and avoid applying pesticides and herbicides .
• Don’t flush your old medications! Dispose of them in the trash to prevent them from entering local waterways.
• Be mindful of anything you pour into storm sewers, since that waste often won’t be treated before being released into local waterways. If you notice a storm sewer blocked by litter, clean it up to keep that trash out of the water. (You’ll also help prevent troublesome street floods in a heavy storm.)
• If you have a pup, be sure to pick up its poop .

With your voice

One of the most effective ways to stand up for our waters is to speak out in support of the Clean Water Act, which has helped hold polluters accountable for five decades—despite attempts by destructive industries to gut its authority. But we also need regulations that keep pace with modern-day challenges, including microplastics, PFAS , pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants our wastewater treatment plants weren’t built to handle, not to mention polluted water that’s dumped untreated.

Tell the federal government, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and your local elected officials that you support water protections and investments in infrastructure, like wastewater treatment, lead-pipe removal programs, and stormwater-abating green infrastructure. Also, learn how you and those around you can get involved in the policymaking process . Our public waterways serve every one of us. We should all have a say in how they’re protected.

This story was originally published on May 14, 2018, and has been updated with new information and links.

This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.

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Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators: Water

Find an array of environmental and science based lesson plans, activities and ideas below from EPA, other federal agencies and external organizations.  ​ Encontrar recursos para estudiantes y maestros.

Topics: Air | Climate Change | Ecosystems | Energy | Health | Waste | Water

Acid Rain: A teacher's guide for grades 6 through 8  (PDF 56 pp, 4.6 MB) A lesson plan and activities from EPA for teachers on acid rain. Grades: 6-8 Type of Resource: Lesson plan

Acid Rain Educational Resources Experiments and activities, a review of basic acid rain concepts, factsheets, and things you can do about acid rain. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Lesson plans and experiments

Darby Duck and the Aquatic Crusaders Find seven experiments from EPA to learn about the characteristics of water. Grades: K-5 Type of Resource: Lesson plan and experiments

Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff Games, activities, and art projects from EPA about the water cycle and water treatment. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Lesson plans

EnviroAtlas: Exploring Your Watershed This interactive lesson-plan module encourages students to explore their local watershed through a hands-on lab, an outdoor exploratory session with maps, and an EnviroAtlas web-mapping session that can be completed with or without internet. Grades: K-6 Type of Resource: Lesson Plans

Ground Water Contamination   (PDF 10 pp, 0.2MB)  Find a general review of groundwater contamination and where it occurs. Grades: 9-12 Type of Resource: Factsheet

How's My Waterway? This tool answers questions about the health of waters in supporting swimming, the eating of fish, drinking water protection and delivery, the health of aquatic communities, and the restoration and protection of waterways. Grades: K-12, College, Adult Learners Type of Resource: Website/tool and lesson plan

How People Get Their Water - Reservoirs: "Holding Tanks" for Drinking Water   Let your students "Ride the Water Cycle" with this activity from EPA. Help them understand the role of reservoirs in maintaining a reliable supply of drinking water. Grades: 4-8 Type of Resource: Lesson plan

Magnificent Ground Water Connection This ground-water activity guide is applicable to a wide range of subject matter and the topics include basic concepts on the water cycle, water distribution, treatment, and stewardship. This page includes five sample lesson activity plans. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Curriculum guide and lesson plans

Mercury Messes with the Environment (pdf) (10.6 MB) A children’s activity booklet describing the effects of mercury contamination on humans and the environment. Grades: 6-8 Type of Resource: Activity book

On Your Mark, Set, Evaporate (PDF 4.73 MB, 398 pp) This EPA lesson plan covers transpiration as part of the hydrologic cycle. Grades: 6-8 Type of resource: Lesson plan

Drinking Water Activities for Students and Teachers These resources provide a basic understanding of drinking water terms and where water comes from. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Website, Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, Activities

Thirstin's Groundwater Movement Activity (PDF 332 KB, 2 pp) This class activity demonstrates that ground water must be able to move through underground materials. The students will act as molecules of water and the underground materials. Grades: K-5 Type of resource: Lesson plan

Tracking Pollution - A Hazardous Whodunit A Thirstin lesson plan to teach students to make a topographic map, use it to predict ground water flow and investigate the most likely source of ground water contamination. Grades: 9-12 Type of resource: Lesson plan

Water Sense Resources Resources for educating students about "Fix a Leak Week," EPA's WaterSense Partnership program and water efficiency. Grades: K-8 Type of resource: Lesson plan

Watershed Academy The Watershed Academy is a focal point in EPA's Office of Water for providing training and information on watershed management. The Academy's self-paced training modules and webcast seminars provide current information from national experts across a broad range of watershed topics. Grades: 9-12, College, Adult Learners Type of Resource: Self paced online modules

The following links exit the site

National Wetlands Research Center This site from the U.S. Geologic Survey explores the many factors that affect wetland health, and provides resources for teachers on preserving our wetlands. Grades: 9-12

NOAA's Education Resources Website Explore this site to find the information you need to teach students about weather, climate change, and oceans. You'll find activities, background information, and much more! Grades: 6-12

National Ocean Service Education Find case studies, tutorials, games, and more from NOAA's National Ocean Service. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Website

Stormwater Pollution Solutions Challenge In these materials, students will read text and diagrams about the elements of watersheds and learn how stormwater pollution influences children’s health. Then they will develop their own environmental solutions to combat stormwater pollution in a local watershed! Grades: 6-8 Type of Resource: Lesson Plan

Water Science for Schools This site provides extensive background information on a wide variety of water topics. It also includes on-line activities, data tables, maps, and a glossary of terms. Grades: 6-12

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Water pollution: an introduction

by Chris Woodford . Last updated: October 1, 2023.

O ver two thirds of Earth's surface is covered by water ; less than a third is taken up by land. As Earth's population continues to grow, people are putting ever-increasing pressure on the planet's water resources. In a sense, our oceans, rivers , and other inland waters are being "squeezed" by human activities—not so they take up less room, but so their quality is reduced. Poorer water quality means water pollution .

We know that pollution is a human problem because it is a relatively recent development in the planet's history: before the 19th century Industrial Revolution, people lived more in harmony with their immediate environment. As industrialization has spread around the globe, so the problem of pollution has spread with it. When Earth's population was much smaller, no one believed pollution would ever present a serious problem. It was once popularly believed that the oceans were far too big to pollute. Today, with around 7 billion people on the planet, it has become apparent that there are limits. Pollution is one of the signs that humans have exceeded those limits.

Photo: Stormwater pollution entering a river from a drain. Photo by Peter C Van Metre courtesy of US Geological Survey .

What is water pollution?

Water pollution can be defined in many ways. Usually, it means one or more substances have built up in water to such an extent that they cause problems for animals or people. Oceans, lakes, rivers, and other inland waters can naturally clean up a certain amount of pollution by dispersing it harmlessly. If you poured a cup of black ink into a river, the ink would quickly disappear into the river's much larger volume of clean water. The ink would still be there in the river, but in such a low concentration that you would not be able to see it. At such low levels, the chemicals in the ink probably would not present any real problem. However, if you poured gallons of ink into a river every few seconds through a pipe, the river would quickly turn black. The chemicals in the ink could very quickly have an effect on the quality of the water. This, in turn, could affect the health of all the plants, animals, and humans whose lives depend on the river.

Photo: Pollution means adding substances to the environment that don't belong there—like the air pollution from this smokestack. Pollution is not always as obvious as this, however.

Thus, water pollution is all about quantities : how much of a polluting substance is released and how big a volume of water it is released into. A small quantity of a toxic chemical may have little impact if it is spilled into the ocean from a ship. But the same amount of the same chemical can have a much bigger impact pumped into a lake or river, where there is less clean water to disperse it.

"The introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment (including estuaries) resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources, hazards to human health, hindrance to marine activities, including fishing, impairment of quality for use of sea water and reduction of amenities." [1]

What are the main types of water pollution?

When we think of Earth's water resources, we think of huge oceans, lakes, and rivers. Water resources like these are called surface waters . The most obvious type of water pollution affects surface waters. For example, a spill from an oil tanker creates an oil slick that can affect a vast area of the ocean.

Photo: Detergent pollution entering a river—an example of surface water pollution. Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service Photo Library.

Not all of Earth's water sits on its surface, however. A great deal of water is held in underground rock structures known as aquifers, which we cannot see and seldom think about. Water stored underground in aquifers is known as groundwater . Aquifers feed our rivers and supply much of our drinking water. They too can become polluted, for example, when weed killers used in people's gardens drain into the ground. Groundwater pollution is much less obvious than surface-water pollution, but is no less of a problem. In 1996, a study in Iowa in the United States found that over half the state's groundwater wells were contaminated with weed killers. You might think things would have improved since then, but, two decades on, all that's really changed is the name of the chemicals we're using. Today, numerous scientific studies are still finding weed killers in groundwater in worrying quantities: a 2012 study discovered glyphosate in 41 percent of 140 groundwater samples from Catalonia, Spain; scientific opinion differs on whether this is safe or not. [2]

Surface waters and groundwater are the two types of water resources that pollution affects. There are also two different ways in which pollution can occur. If pollution comes from a single location, such as a discharge pipe attached to a factory, it is known as point-source pollution . Other examples of point source pollution include an oil spill from a tanker, a discharge from a smoke stack (factory chimney), or someone pouring oil from their car down a drain. A great deal of water pollution happens not from one single source but from many different scattered sources. This is called nonpoint-source pollution .

When point-source pollution enters the environment, the place most affected is usually the area immediately around the source. For example, when a tanker accident occurs, the oil slick is concentrated around the tanker itself and, in the right ocean conditions, the pollution disperses the further away from the tanker you go. This is less likely to happen with nonpoint source pollution which, by definition, enters the environment from many different places at once.

Sometimes pollution that enters the environment in one place has an effect hundreds or even thousands of miles away. This is known as transboundary pollution . One example is the way radioactive waste travels through the oceans from nuclear reprocessing plants in England and France to nearby countries such as Ireland and Norway.

How do we know when water is polluted?

Some forms of water pollution are very obvious: everyone has seen TV news footage of oil slicks filmed from helicopters flying overhead. Water pollution is usually less obvious and much harder to detect than this. But how can we measure water pollution when we cannot see it? How do we even know it's there?

There are two main ways of measuring the quality of water. One is to take samples of the water and measure the concentrations of different chemicals that it contains. If the chemicals are dangerous or the concentrations are too great, we can regard the water as polluted. Measurements like this are known as chemical indicators of water quality. Another way to measure water quality involves examining the fish, insects, and other invertebrates that the water will support. If many different types of creatures can live in a river, the quality is likely to be very good; if the river supports no fish life at all, the quality is obviously much poorer. Measurements like this are called biological indicators of water quality.

What are the causes of water pollution?

Most water pollution doesn't begin in the water itself. Take the oceans: around 80 percent of ocean pollution enters our seas from the land. [16] Virtually any human activity can have an effect on the quality of our water environment. When farmers fertilize the fields, the chemicals they use are gradually washed by rain into the groundwater or surface waters nearby. Sometimes the causes of water pollution are quite surprising. Chemicals released by smokestacks (chimneys) can enter the atmosphere and then fall back to earth as rain, entering seas, rivers, and lakes and causing water pollution. That's called atmospheric deposition . Water pollution has many different causes and this is one of the reasons why it is such a difficult problem to solve.

With billions of people on the planet, disposing of sewage waste is a major problem. According to 2017 figures from the World Health Organization, some 2 billion people (about a quarter of the world's population) don't have access to safe drinking water or the most basic sanitation, 3.4 billion (60 people of the population) lack "safely managed" sanitation (unshared, with waste properly treated). Although there have been great improvements in securing access to clean water, relatively little, genuine progress has been made on improving global sanitation in the last decade. [20] Sewage disposal affects people's immediate environments and leads to water-related illnesses such as diarrhea that kills 525,000 children under five each year. [3] (Back in 2002, the World Health Organization estimated that water-related diseases could kill as many as 135 million people by 2020; in 2019, the WHO was still estimating the annual death toll from poor water and sanitation at over 800,000 people a year.) In developed countries, most people have flush toilets that take sewage waste quickly and hygienically away from their homes.

Yet the problem of sewage disposal does not end there. When you flush the toilet, the waste has to go somewhere and, even after it leaves the sewage treatment works, there is still waste to dispose of. Sometimes sewage waste is pumped untreated into the sea. Until the early 1990s, around 5 million tons of sewage was dumped by barge from New York City each year. [4] According to 2002 figures from the UK government's Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the sewers of Britain collect around 11 billion liters of waste water every day; there are still 31,000 sewage overflow pipes through which, in certain circumstances, such as heavy storms, raw sewage is pumped untreated into the sea. [5] The New River that crosses the border from Mexico into California once carried with it 20–25 million gallons (76–95 million liters) of raw sewage each day; a new waste water plant on the US-Mexico border, completed in 2007, substantially solved that problem. [6] Unfortunately, even in some of the richest nations, the practice of dumping sewage into the sea continues. In early 2012, it was reported that the tiny island of Guernsey (between Britain and France) has decided to continue dumping 16,000 tons of raw sewage into the sea each day.

In theory, sewage is a completely natural substance that should be broken down harmlessly in the environment: 90 percent of sewage is water. [7] In practice, sewage contains all kinds of other chemicals, from the pharmaceutical drugs people take to the paper , plastic , and other wastes they flush down their toilets. When people are sick with viruses, the sewage they produce carries those viruses into the environment. It is possible to catch illnesses such as hepatitis, typhoid, and cholera from river and sea water.

Photo: Nutrients make crops grow, but cause pollution when they seep into rivers and other watercourses. Photo courtesy of US Department of Agriculture (Flickr) .

Suitably treated and used in moderate quantities, sewage can be a fertilizer: it returns important nutrients to the environment, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which plants and animals need for growth. The trouble is, sewage is often released in much greater quantities than the natural environment can cope with. Chemical fertilizers used by farmers also add nutrients to the soil, which drain into rivers and seas and add to the fertilizing effect of the sewage. Together, sewage and fertilizers can cause a massive increase in the growth of algae or plankton that overwhelms huge areas of oceans, lakes, or rivers. This is known as a harmful algal bloom (also known as an HAB or red tide, because it can turn the water red). It is harmful because it removes oxygen from the water that kills other forms of life, leading to what is known as a dead zone . The Gulf of Mexico has one of the world's most spectacular dead zones. Each summer, according to studies by the NOAA , it typically grows to an area of around 5500–6500 square miles (14,000–16,800 square kilometers), which is about the same size as the state of Connecticut. [21]

Waste water

A few statistics illustrate the scale of the problem that waste water (chemicals washed down drains and discharged from factories) can cause. Around half of all ocean pollution is caused by sewage and waste water. Each year, the world generates perhaps 5–10 billion tons of industrial waste, much of which is pumped untreated into rivers, oceans, and other waterways. [8] In the United States alone, around 400,000 factories take clean water from rivers, and many pump polluted waters back in their place. However, there have been major improvements in waste water treatment recently. Since 1970, in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has invested about $70 billion in improving water treatment plants that, as of 2021, serve around 90 percent of the US population (compared to just 69 percent in 1972). However, another $271 billion is still needed to update and upgrade the system. [15]

Factories are point sources of water pollution, but quite a lot of water is polluted by ordinary people from nonpoint sources; this is how ordinary water becomes waste water in the first place. Virtually everyone pours chemicals of one sort or another down their drains or toilets. Even detergents used in washing machines and dishwashers eventually end up in our rivers and oceans. So do the pesticides we use on our gardens. A lot of toxic pollution also enters waste water from highway runoff . Highways are typically covered with a cocktail of toxic chemicals—everything from spilled fuel and brake fluids to bits of worn tires (themselves made from chemical additives) and exhaust emissions. When it rains, these chemicals wash into drains and rivers. It is not unusual for heavy summer rainstorms to wash toxic chemicals into rivers in such concentrations that they kill large numbers of fish overnight. It has been estimated that, in one year, the highway runoff from a single large city leaks as much oil into our water environment as a typical tanker spill. Some highway runoff runs away into drains; others can pollute groundwater or accumulate in the land next to a road, making it increasingly toxic as the years go by.

Chemical waste

Detergents are relatively mild substances. At the opposite end of the spectrum are highly toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) . They were once widely used to manufacture electronic circuit boards , but their harmful effects have now been recognized and their use is highly restricted in many countries. Nevertheless, an estimated half million tons of PCBs were discharged into the environment during the 20th century. [9] In a classic example of transboundary pollution, traces of PCBs have even been found in birds and fish in the Arctic. They were carried there through the oceans, thousands of miles from where they originally entered the environment. Although PCBs are widely banned, their effects will be felt for many decades because they last a long time in the environment without breaking down.

Another kind of toxic pollution comes from heavy metals , such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. Lead was once commonly used in gasoline (petrol), though its use is now restricted in some countries. Mercury and cadmium are still used in batteries (though some brands now use other metals instead). Until recently, a highly toxic chemical called tributyltin (TBT) was used in paints to protect boats from the ravaging effects of the oceans. Ironically, however, TBT was gradually recognized as a pollutant: boats painted with it were doing as much damage to the oceans as the oceans were doing to the boats.

The best known example of heavy metal pollution in the oceans took place in 1938 when a Japanese factory discharged a significant amount of mercury metal into Minamata Bay, contaminating the fish stocks there. It took a decade for the problem to come to light. By that time, many local people had eaten the fish and around 2000 were poisoned. Hundreds of people were left dead or disabled. [10]

Radioactive waste

People view radioactive waste with great alarm—and for good reason. At high enough concentrations it can kill; in lower concentrations it can cause cancers and other illnesses. The biggest sources of radioactive pollution in Europe are two factories that reprocess waste fuel from nuclear power plants : Sellafield on the north-west coast of Britain and Cap La Hague on the north coast of France. Both discharge radioactive waste water into the sea, which ocean currents then carry around the world. Countries such as Norway, which lie downstream from Britain, receive significant doses of radioactive pollution from Sellafield. [19] The Norwegian government has repeatedly complained that Sellafield has increased radiation levels along its coast by 6–10 times. Both the Irish and Norwegian governments continue to press for the plant's closure. [11]

Oil pollution

Photo: Oil-tanker spills are the most spectacular forms of pollution and the ones that catch public attention, but only a fraction of all water pollution happens this way. Photo by Lamar Gore courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service Photo Library and US National Archive .

When we think of ocean pollution, huge black oil slicks often spring to mind, yet these spectacular accidents represent only a tiny fraction of all the pollution entering our oceans. Even considering oil by itself, tanker spills are not as significant as they might seem: only 12 percent of the oil that enters the oceans comes from tanker accidents; over 70 percent of oil pollution at sea comes from routine shipping and from the oil people pour down drains on land. [12] However, what makes tanker spills so destructive is the sheer quantity of oil they release at once — in other words, the concentration of oil they produce in one very localized part of the marine environment. The biggest oil spill in recent years (and the biggest ever spill in US waters) occurred when the tanker Exxon Valdez broke up in Prince William Sound in Alaska in 1989. Around 12 million gallons (44 million liters) of oil were released into the pristine wilderness—enough to fill your living room 800 times over! Estimates of the marine animals killed in the spill vary from approximately 1000 sea otters and 34,000 birds to as many as 2800 sea otters and 250,000 sea birds. Several billion salmon and herring eggs are also believed to have been destroyed. [13]

If you've ever taken part in a community beach clean, you'll know that plastic is far and away the most common substance that washes up with the waves. There are three reasons for this: plastic is one of the most common materials, used for making virtually every kind of manufactured object from clothing to automobile parts; plastic is light and floats easily so it can travel enormous distances across the oceans; most plastics are not biodegradable (they do not break down naturally in the environment), which means that things like plastic bottle tops can survive in the marine environment for a long time. (A plastic bottle can survive an estimated 450 years in the ocean and plastic fishing line can last up to 600 years.)

While plastics are not toxic in quite the same way as poisonous chemicals, they nevertheless present a major hazard to seabirds, fish, and other marine creatures. For example, plastic fishing lines and other debris can strangle or choke fish. (This is sometimes called ghost fishing .) About half of all the world's seabird species are known to have eaten plastic residues. In one study of 450 shearwaters in the North Pacific, over 80 percent of the birds were found to contain plastic residues in their stomachs. In the early 1990s, marine scientist Tim Benton collected debris from a 2km (1.5 mile) length of beach in the remote Pitcairn islands in the South Pacific. His study recorded approximately a thousand pieces of garbage including 268 pieces of plastic, 71 plastic bottles, and two dolls heads. [14]

Alien species

Most people's idea of water pollution involves things like sewage, toxic metals, or oil slicks, but pollution can be biological as well as chemical. In some parts of the world, alien species are a major problem. Alien species (sometimes known as invasive species ) are animals or plants from one region that have been introduced into a different ecosystem where they do not belong. Outside their normal environment, they have no natural predators, so they rapidly run wild, crowding out the usual animals or plants that thrive there. Common examples of alien species include zebra mussels in the Great Lakes of the USA, which were carried there from Europe by ballast water (waste water flushed from ships ). The Mediterranean Sea has been invaded by a kind of alien algae called Caulerpa taxifolia . In the Black Sea, an alien jellyfish called Mnemiopsis leidyi reduced fish stocks by 90 percent after arriving in ballast water. In San Francisco Bay, Asian clams called Potamocorbula amurensis, also introduced by ballast water, have dramatically altered the ecosystem. In 1999, Cornell University's David Pimentel estimated that alien invaders like this cost the US economy $123 billion a year; in 2014, the European Commission put the cost to Europe at €12 billion a year and "growing all the time. [18]

Other forms of pollution

These are the most common forms of pollution—but by no means the only ones. Heat or thermal pollution from factories and power plants also causes problems in rivers. By raising the temperature, it reduces the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water, thus also reducing the level of aquatic life that the river can support. Another type of pollution involves the disruption of sediments (fine-grained powders) that flow from rivers into the sea. Dams built for hydroelectric power or water reservoirs can reduce the sediment flow. This reduces the formation of beaches, increases coastal erosion (the natural destruction of cliffs by the sea), and reduces the flow of nutrients from rivers into seas (potentially reducing coastal fish stocks). Increased sediments can also present a problem. During construction work, soil, rock, and other fine powders sometimes enters nearby rivers in large quantities, causing it to become turbid (muddy or silted). The extra sediment can block the gills of fish, effectively suffocating them. Construction firms often now take precautions to prevent this kind of pollution from happening.

What are the effects of water pollution?

Some people believe pollution is an inescapable result of human activity: they argue that if we want to have factories, cities, ships, cars, oil, and coastal resorts, some degree of pollution is almost certain to result. In other words, pollution is a necessary evil that people must put up with if they want to make progress. Fortunately, not everyone agrees with this view. One reason people have woken up to the problem of pollution is that it brings costs of its own that undermine any economic benefits that come about by polluting.

Take oil spills, for example. They can happen if tankers are too poorly built to survive accidents at sea. But the economic benefit of compromising on tanker quality brings an economic cost when an oil spill occurs. The oil can wash up on nearby beaches, devastate the ecosystem, and severely affect tourism. The main problem is that the people who bear the cost of the spill (typically a small coastal community) are not the people who caused the problem in the first place (the people who operate the tanker). Yet, arguably, everyone who puts gasoline (petrol) into their car—or uses almost any kind of petroleum-fueled transport—contributes to the problem in some way. So oil spills are a problem for everyone, not just people who live by the coast and tanker operates.

Sewage is another good example of how pollution can affect us all. Sewage discharged into coastal waters can wash up on beaches and cause a health hazard. People who bathe or surf in the water can fall ill if they swallow polluted water—yet sewage can have other harmful effects too: it can poison shellfish (such as cockles and mussels) that grow near the shore. People who eat poisoned shellfish risk suffering from an acute—and sometimes fatal—illness called paralytic shellfish poisoning. Shellfish is no longer caught along many shores because it is simply too polluted with sewage or toxic chemical wastes that have discharged from the land nearby.

Pollution matters because it harms the environment on which people depend. The environment is not something distant and separate from our lives. It's not a pretty shoreline hundreds of miles from our homes or a wilderness landscape that we see only on TV. The environment is everything that surrounds us that gives us life and health. Destroying the environment ultimately reduces the quality of our own lives—and that, most selfishly, is why pollution should matter to all of us.

How can we stop water pollution?

There is no easy way to solve water pollution; if there were, it wouldn't be so much of a problem. Broadly speaking, there are three different things that can help to tackle the problem—education, laws, and economics—and they work together as a team.

Making people aware of the problem is the first step to solving it. In the early 1990s, when surfers in Britain grew tired of catching illnesses from water polluted with sewage, they formed a group called Surfers Against Sewage to force governments and water companies to clean up their act. People who've grown tired of walking the world's polluted beaches often band together to organize community beach-cleaning sessions. Anglers who no longer catch so many fish have campaigned for tougher penalties against factories that pour pollution into our rivers. Greater public awareness can make a positive difference.

One of the biggest problems with water pollution is its transboundary nature. Many rivers cross countries, while seas span whole continents. Pollution discharged by factories in one country with poor environmental standards can cause problems in neighboring nations, even when they have tougher laws and higher standards. Environmental laws can make it tougher for people to pollute, but to be really effective they have to operate across national and international borders. This is why we have international laws governing the oceans, such as the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (signed by over 120 nations), the 1972 London (Dumping) Convention , the 1978 MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships , and the 1998 OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic . The European Union has water-protection laws (known as directives) that apply to all of its member states. They include the 1976 Bathing Water Directive (updated 2006), which seeks to ensure the quality of the waters that people use for recreation. Most countries also have their own water pollution laws. In the United States, for example, there is the 1972 Clean Water Act and the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act .

Most environmental experts agree that the best way to tackle pollution is through something called the polluter pays principle . This means that whoever causes pollution should have to pay to clean it up, one way or another. Polluter pays can operate in all kinds of ways. It could mean that tanker owners should have to take out insurance that covers the cost of oil spill cleanups, for example. It could also mean that shoppers should have to pay for their plastic grocery bags, as is now common in Ireland, to encourage recycling and minimize waste. Or it could mean that factories that use rivers must have their water inlet pipes downstream of their effluent outflow pipes, so if they cause pollution they themselves are the first people to suffer. Ultimately, the polluter pays principle is designed to deter people from polluting by making it less expensive for them to behave in an environmentally responsible way.

Our clean future

Life is ultimately about choices—and so is pollution. We can live with sewage-strewn beaches, dead rivers, and fish that are too poisonous to eat. Or we can work together to keep the environment clean so the plants, animals, and people who depend on it remain healthy. We can take individual action to help reduce water pollution, for example, by using environmentally friendly detergents , not pouring oil down drains, reducing pesticides, and so on. We can take community action too, by helping out on beach cleans or litter picks to keep our rivers and seas that little bit cleaner. And we can take action as countries and continents to pass laws that will make pollution harder and the world less polluted. Working together, we can make pollution less of a problem—and the world a better place.

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For older readers

For younger readers.

• Earth Matters by Lynn Dicks et al. Dorling Kindersley, 2008: A more general guide to problems Earth faces, with each major biome explored separately. In case you're interested, I contributed the polar regions chapter. The book is mostly a simple read and probably suitable for 7–10 (and maybe 9–12).

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Text copyright © Chris Woodford 2006, 2022. All rights reserved. Full copyright notice and terms of use .

This article was originally written for the UK Rivers Network and first published on their website in April 2006. It is revised and updated every year.

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Unit 7: Aquatic and terrestrial pollution

About this unit.

How can we keep trash out of our oceans? In this unit, we'll learn about pollution in water and on land. We'll explore the effects of pollutants on ecosystems and our health, and we'll discover the different ways we can reduce and treat the waste we produce.

Sources of pollution

• Human impact on aquatic environments (Opens a modal)
• Sources of pollution Get 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Types of aquatic and terrestrial pollution

• Eutrophication and dead zones (Opens a modal)
• Types of aquatic and terrestrial pollution Get 3 of 4 questions to level up!

Waste disposal, reduction, and treatment

• Sewage treatment (Opens a modal)
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Pollution and health

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What Is Water Pollution?

Watch this brief, video picture of practice that captures everyday classroom life and provides real-life examples of how students learn and think about freshwater topics.

Earth Science

When asked what water pollution is, most students can readily explain pollution as trash thrown away by humans that enters our water. Students can readily identify items visible to the naked eye, such as cigarette butts, plastic bottles, and bags. This type of debris is certainly a water-pollution problem. However, when students are asked about other sources of water pollution, they may be lost or not able to identify invisible pollutants. Chemical released by manufacturing, cars, and lawns and farms are large contributors to water pollution but can be hard for students to identify because they may not be visible, or the source of the pollution is not easily connected to the area that is impacted. For example, yard fertilizers and pesticides run into storm drains and simply "disappear" from students' world. Likewise, if students are asked how pollution gets into water, they may point to littering but not identify different types of runoff. It is important that students understand that there are many pollutants that get into the water—in different ways—so they can better understand how to prevent pollution from entering the water systems in the first place. Watch this video of 6th grade students in San Diego, California—a coastal community. The purpose of this classroom video is to see students share their ideas about water pollution. For additional classroom context, video analysis, and reflection opportunities, read the Picture of Practice page for "What Is Water Pollution?" in the Earth's Freshwater Educator Guide , page 80.

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Water Quality

Upcoming events, water pollution lesson plans.

This page contains lesson plans that will help you teach about water quality pollution and its effects on water and land resources. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to check out relevant equipment.

Watershed Models (Enviroscape) Grades K-12

Demonstrates the concept of a watershed and how pollutants move within a watershed and how best management practices reduce pollutants in a watershed. 15-20 min.

Pave It or Plant It Grades 7-12

Activity demonstrating the effects of paving over the landscape and the effect on runoff.  

Groundwater Model Grades 6-12

Activity that teaches basic groundwater concepts by using the groundwater flow demonstration model.  Watch this helpful YouTube Video .

Water Pollution Graphing Grades K-6

Lesson plan describes and identifies the link between land use activities within a watershed and water quality. 20 - 30 min.

Watershed Detectives Grades 8-12

Students analyze water samples from different watersheds and use their knowledge of water quality to determine the source of their samples.

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FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• The Dirty Water Project: Design-Build-Test Your Own Water Filters

Hands-on Activity The Dirty Water Project: Design-Build-Test Your Own Water Filters

Grade Level: 5 (3-5)

(Add 15-minutes at the beginning if the class makes the "polluted" water and sets up the aeration; can be split into two 45-minute sessions)

Expendable Cost/Group: US $3.00

Group Size: 3

Activity Dependency: None

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Curriculum in this Unit Units serve as guides to a particular content or subject area. Nested under units are lessons (in purple) and hands-on activities (in blue). Note that not all lessons and activities will exist under a unit, and instead may exist as "standalone" curriculum.

• Shades of Gray(water)
• Designing Ways to Get and Clean Water
• What's Gotten Into You?
• Water Cycle: Moving without Wheels

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Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, more curriculum like this, introduction/motivation, troubleshooting tips, activity extensions, activity scaling, user comments & tips.

Civil, chemical and environmental engineers work together to make existing water treatment systems better, and to develop new water treatment systems. Some engineers design state-of-the-art seawater treatment system technologies that process ocean water cost-effectively for safe domestic use.

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Use sight and smell to identify pollutants in a water sample.
• Explore what types of pollutants are removed from water by aeration and filtration.
• Design, build and test a water filtration system.
• Explain the role of engineers in water treatment systems.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

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Each group needs:

• Data Collection Worksheet , one per student
• 2-liter plastic bottle cut in half horizontally, as shown in Figure 1; ask students to bring empty bottles from home or get from local recycling center near you; wash before use; consider using the same ones used in Lesson 4's This Landfill is a Gas activity.)

• 3-inch square of mesh, such as fine nylon screen or fine cheese-cloth
• 1 rubber band
• 1 spoon or other stirring utensil; a chopstick works well

To share among all groups:

• filter materials, such as filter paper or large coffee filter (at least 6" in diameter), 6 cotton balls, ~6 cups soil, ~6 cups sand, 1 dozen large and small pebbles (total), ~6 cup activated charcoal (such as used for potting plants and in aquariums)
• aquarium aerator or a mechanical stirrer/mixer; aeration pumps for fish tanks work well
• measuring cups
• 2 large jugs/jars, ~1 gallon size, such as plastic gallon milk jugs with lids; for mixing/storing "polluted water" (recipe follows)
• "polluted water" made by mixing the following items in amounts at the teacher's discretion: water (enough to fill the jugs/jars ~¾ full), green liquid food coloring, soil, organic matter such as grass clippings and orange rinds, dishwashing detergent, vinegar, baking soda, salt, pepper, pieces of polystyrene foam (foam peanuts), small pieces of newspaper, and your own ideas for other items

Due to its incredible chemical properties, water is often considered the "universal solvent." It can mix with organic (natural) or synthetic (human-made) substances. Some of these products easily break down in water, while others break down very slowly, or perhaps even never. Water naturally cleans itself via filtration through the ground and evaporation via the water cycle.

At one time, communities disposed of their waste and garbage directly into lakes, streams and oceans. Now, most countries require that unclean (contaminated, polluted) water be treated before it is permitted to be released into natural bodies of water like lakes, rivers and oceans.

Generally, three different ways are used to treat raw sewage (waste) water before it is released. First, the liquid is given time to settle and then is exposed to oxygen by stirring or bubbling air through it (aeration). This helps many harmful organic pollutants react with oxygen and change into carbon dioxide and water. Second, the liquid is filtered to remove the particulate matter. Third, it is treated chemically with chlorine or ozone to kill any remaining harmful components such as bacteria.

Environmental, chemical and civil engineers work together to improve existing water treatment systems and design new ones to ensure that we have clean water both now and in the future. Today, let's imagine that we are engineers working for the Clean Water Environmental Engineering Company. The company has been asked to design a new water filtration system for a small community with a polluted water supply using limited materials. We are going to focus on the second step in the water treatment process, filtering. First, we are going to look at different types of filter material to determine which ones work well. Then each group in the company will design a filtering system to clean the polluted water. The best filtering system will be used in the small community.

Before the Activity

• Prepare the "polluted water" supply and let it ripen in a sunny spot for a day or two. Alternatively, do this as a class demonstration so that students know exactly what is in the water. If you have student create the "polluted water" supply, have them write down the ingredients and their sight and smell (not taste) observations about the solution as it changes.
• Place the aerator/mixer in one sample of "polluted water" and let it sit overnight before Part 1. You will probably need to aerate a large sample of water for a day or so before Part 2, depending on how many groups choose to use aerated water for their best filter. Note: Aeration, the process of adding air to water, is often part of the water purification process in order to help many harmful organic pollutants react with oxygen and change into non-threatening carbon dioxide and water.
• Be sure to mix the solution thoroughly before preparing the student samples.
• Prepare the 2-liter bottles: cut them in half horizontally. Place a square of mesh over the bottle opening and secure it with the rubber band. If you use cheese cloth, you will need to replace it before Part 2.
• Make copies of the Data Collection Worksheet , one per person.
• Make a transparency or large chart of the class data section for use in Part 1.
• Review the water cycle with the class. Pay special attention to where the water can be purified. See the following book for a great description: The Magic School Bus – Wet All Over: A Book about the Water Cycle by Joanna Cole and Pat Relf (New York, NY: Scholastic Books, Inc., 1996).

With the Students

• Divide the class into groups of three students each.
• Distribute a worksheet to each group.
• Remind the students that they are now working for the Clean Water Environmental Engineering Company and have been asked to design a new water filtration system for a small community with a polluted water supply. First, the company is going to look at different types of filter material to determine which ones work well. Then each group in the company will design a filtering system to clean up the polluted water.
• Give the following supplies to each group: a pre-cut 2-liter bottle, a ½-¾ cup (100-200 ml) sample of the "polluted water" in a beaker or cup, one type of "filter" (one group will not get a filter in order to test the mesh only), and a spoon.
• Ask each group to draw a picture of the "polluted water." Ask them to describe in words what it looks and smells like. Remind them to gently stir the solution and record their sight and smell observations on the worksheet. Remind students to never taste the solution.
• Ask students to come up with questions they think are important to answer throughout the activity about water filters (i.e., what makes a good filter?). Have them also write down on their worksheets their predictions for what they think their particular filter material will do.
• Ask students to set up their filters by placing the filter material into the inverted 2-liter bottle top, as shown in Figure 2. Note: Place the filter in the end of the bottle with the neck, so it functions like a funnel. Use the other half of the bottle as a stand. Prompt students to draw sketches of their setups on the worksheet.

• Ask students to gently stir the "polluted water" and then slowly pour it into the filter. Make sure the group with the filter paper is careful to not pour liquid above the top of the filter.
• Direct students to observe what happens during the filtration. Expect some filtrations to take longer than others. Remind students to record on their worksheets their observations and draw pictures of the filtered water.
• After all groups have collected data, share the results as a class by filling in the information on the transparency or chart made earlier. Have students record all team results in the class data section on the worksheets.
• As a class, look at the aerated sample. Discuss what aeration is and how it works (refer to the aeration explanation in the Before the Activity section).
• Ask students to work in their engineering design groups to design the best water filtration system given the filter material options and their choice of aerated or non-aerated water. Have them fill in the worksheet to record and explain their design choices. Permit them to use as many of the filtering materials as they want.
• Collect all supplies and dispose of used items properly. Rinse and save the 2-liter bottles Part 2.
• Have students sort into their Part 1 groups.
• Give each team a prepared 2-liter bottle, ½-¾ cup (100-200 ml) of the "polluted water" in a beaker or cup (aerated or non-aerated, whichever they chose) and a spoon.
• Distribute the filter materials as needed. Note: It helps if teams each send a designated "materials" person from to collect their supplies from a central classroom location.
• Ask students to fabricate their groups' water filter systems and draw pictures of them on their worksheets.
• For testing, direct students to gently stir the polluted water supply and then slowly pour an amount into the filter. For teams that used filter paper, remind them to be careful not to pour the liquid above the top of the filter.

• Alert students to carefully observe and record on their worksheets what happens during the filtration process. Note: Some filtration systems take longer than others to process the "polluted water," so students should not worry if their filtration systems takes longer than other systems. Also have teams draw pictures on their worksheets of the filtered water.
• Direct students to record their results and answer the worksheet discussion questions, comparing answers with team members.
• After all the groups are finished, label and line up the filtered samples. Ask each team to present its filter system to the class (aka Clean Water Environmental Engineering Company). Have students discuss similarities and differences in the filters.
• Conclude with a class vote and discussion about which water is the cleanest and why. 

Pre-Activity Assessment: Part 1

Questions: Have students come up with questions they think are important to answer throughout the activity about water filters (i.e., what makes a good filter?). Tell them to keep the questions in mind and answer them at the end of the activity.

Picture Drawing: Ask each student to draw a picture of their group's "polluted water" in the space provided on the Data Collection Worksheet .

Prediction: Ask students to write down a prediction for what they think their particular filter materials will do in the space provided on the worksheet.

Recorded Observations: Ask students to stir the solution and record their observations on their worksheets.

Pre-Activity Assessment: Part 2

Picture Drawing: Ask each student to draw a picture of their best water filter in the space provided on worksheet.

Activity Embedded Assessment: Parts 1 and 2

Recorded Observations: Students observe and record what happens during the filtration process.

Picture Drawing: Have each student draw a picture of the filtered water in the space provided on the worksheet.

Post Activity Assessment: Part 1

Data Recording: After all groups have collected data, share the results as a class by filling in the information on the transparency or chart made earlier. Have students record all team results in the Class Data Section on the worksheet.

Clean Water Environmental Engineering Company Design Project: Ask students to work in their engineering design groups to design the best water filter system given the filter material options and their choice of aerated or non-aerated water. Have them record and explain their choices on the worksheet.

Post Activity Assessment: Part 2

Worksheet Questions: Have students answer the worksheet discussion questions, comparing answers with a team member. Collect and review student worksheets to assess their engagement, comprehension and mastery of the subject matter.

Engineering Presentations: Ask each team to present its filter system design to the class, explaining their logic. Examine the filtered solutions. Conclude with a class vote and discussion about which water is the cleanest and why.

Safety Issues

Remind students to only make sign and smell observations of the "polluted water" solution and never taste a solution, even if it looks "clean."

Have some paper towels, rags or sponges on hand in-case of spills.

Consider any student allergies before creating the dirty water sample.

Advise students to fold the filter paper so it fits into the bottle top and suggest they pre-wet the paper so that it sticks to the sides of the "funnel." An eyedropper and tap water are useful for pre-wetting the filter paper.

Remember to dispose of the waste from this experiment properly! Typically, the "polluted water" solution can be poured down the drain. But if any contaminating chemicals were used, dispose of it using responsible disposal methods.

Provide students with pH paper and a pH guide so they can determine the pH of the solution during different stages of the process: plain water, "polluted water" before treatment, after aeration, after filtering with one filter, and after using their final filter. Discuss how the different components in the solution affect the pH. How would the pH of the solution affect the rest of the environment? (Refer to pH table.)

Ask students to measure the volume before and after filtration. Younger students can describe it as more or less or use measuring spoons/cups. Older students can use labeled beakers or graduated cylinders.

Experiment with some simple chemical treatments. For example, add chlorine to a water sample as a class demo or with older students. Remember to wear protective equipment when handling chemicals!

Ask students: Does the order of the filter layers matter? Why or why not?

Direct students to filter their samples more than once, keeping a small sample after each filtration for comparison purposes. Does the water get (visually) cleaner on subsequent filtrations? Why or why not?

For younger students, conduct the activity as a demo with fewer filter choices. Demonstrate each filter type individually and then ask students to predict what will happen when both filter types are used together. Ask students to draw pictures of the results.

For older students, let the teams work more independently so more time is spent on the design portion of the project. Ask students to make their own suggestions for filter materials and other ways to treat the "polluted water." Have students bring in some materials from home to test as filters and have each team test its own items after you have modeled the filtration procedure.

Students learn about water quality testing and basic water treatment processes and technology options. Biological, physical and chemical treatment processes are addressed, as well as physical and biological water quality testing, including testing for bacteria such as E. coli.

Through the use of models and scientific investigation, students explore the causes of water pollution and its effects on the environment. Through the two associated activities, they investigate filtration and aeration processes that are used for removing pollutants from water.

Cole, Joanna and Relf, Pat. The Magic School Bus – Wet All Over: A Book About the Water Cycle . New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 1996 (ISBN 0-590-50833-4).

Glencoe Science: An Introduction to the Life, Earth and Physical Sciences . Student Edition. Blacklick, OH: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Hassard, Jack. Science as Inquiry – Active Learning, Project-Based, Web-Assisted and Active Assessment Strategies to Enhance Student Learning. Tucson, AZ: Good Year Books, 1999. (ISBN 0-673-57731-7)

Lucas, Eileen. Water: A Resource in Crisis . Chicago, IL: Children's Press, Inc., 1991.

Prentice Hall Science. Ecology Earth's Natural Resources Activity Book. NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1993.

Spurling Jennett, Pamela. Investigations in Science – Ecology. Westminster, CA: Creative Teaching Press, Inc., 1995.

Stille, Darlene. The New True Book – Water Pollution. Chicago, IL: Childrens Press, Inc., 1991.

NGSS Standards

Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment. Examples of the design process including examining human environmental impacts, assessing the kinds of solutions that are feasible, and designing and evaluating solutions that can reduce the impact.

Evaluate the competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. 

Why Design Water Filters?

While we are learning about water pollution with my sixth graders, I am always amazed at how little they know about where the water from the toilet goes!

We have a sewage treatment plant less than 10 miles from our school and none of the students are aware of it! I used to be able to bring the kids there on field trips, but for insurance reasons, they closed that program down. It was probably one of the most disgusting trips but that’s what made it so memorable!

Since sewage treatment plants vary in their actual structure, I focus on the basic premise of filtering larger particles and then smaller particles through consecutive steps before the water is put back into the river.

Introducing the Filter Project

I introduce the project about a week ahead. I let students know that they will need to use a STANDARD SIZED plastic water bottle.  I give them the directions as to how to cut it, along with the sketching form and reflection questions.

I cut a bottle in front of them so they can see where exactly to cut the top off. With the top cut off, we invert it  to become a funnel. This is where they will add their filter materials.

Suggestions For Water Filter Materials

Throughout the many years I’ve done this project, the students have been super creative with what they have used for their layers in the filter. Some suggestions you can give your students may be:

• Paper Towels
• Cotton Balls
• Coffee Filters
• Toilet Paper
• Fish tank Pebbles

How Do I Make the “Fake Sewage” Water?

Making the “Fake Sewage” water is so much fun! When I walk in to the school with it, the kids are all grossed out and super excited! 

How do I create it? I go to my backyard and dig up some dirt to put in a gallon jug. I add about one or two centimeters of that soil. Then I go into my kitchen and add black pepper, oregano, mixed spices, etc. The rest is water.

The spices helps it smell funny plus it gives it lots of chunks to be removed.

Note: I would advise against adding coffee, tea or anything where the particles are so small that they won’t break apart in the student’s filters. My goal is to give them a chance to have “clear and clean“ water dripping from their filters!

Let’s Make It A Contest!

In general, I don’t do contests, but the excitement this one generates seems worth it. Plus, I do ask them to do the experiment twice so they have a double shot at winning.

The students sit around the table with extreme anticipation on their faces. I pull out my nasty “fake sewage” and give each student exactly 100 mL in a graduated cylinder or beaker.

We have about a half hour that they can slowly pour the “sewage” into their filters. The rule is that it has to have dripped completely through to be in the contest. I have found that most filters start off looking clear, and over the course of a few minutes, the filtered water gets darker.

After the filters have all drained through, we line up the finished products. Being sensitive to the students who may have had unsuccessful filters, I only ask the top four or five to line theirs up. Again, remember that we design water filters twice, so there is always a second shot.

Time to Redesign the Water Filters

The results of the first round of the contest are usually not very clear water. Occasionally I will get a student that makes the water come out very clear, but in general, most filters produce more of a tea color.

During the second round it can be a very tight race as the students have refined their techniques. I had one year where we were holding the top three filters against a white paper and shining a flashlight through them as they hotly debated which one was the “clearest”.

Reflections Questions

In my product called STEM Water Filter Pollution Engineering Project, I include directions, an area to sketch the layers and reflection questions for them to review the process. We have a discussion about frustrations and accomplishments. The students love to talk about their trial and error process!

Follow up with Great Water Pollution Content

Once student interest has been peaked, it is time for content in the form of stations around my room. Holly, of Flying Colors Science, has put together just the materials I need to keep the critical thinking going and to introduce data analysis. ( Water Pollution Data Based Stations. )

Students visit eight different stations that focus on types of water pollution, nitrogen and eutrophication, phosphorous and algal blooms, oil spills, micro-plastics, drinking water health, acid rain plus other types of water pollution. Students read text passages and then analyze graphs or maps. These lead to great discussions about topics most students have never heard of before this unit. The stations prepare students for the next activity where we visit a local pond. We gather pond water to view under microscopes to search for bioindicators of pollution. Students use their knowledge from the stations, and the data from the microorganisms, to determine if the pond is “healthy” or not.

You can read my post called Identifying Pond Water Organisms as Bioindicators to see how we do that exciting lab!

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4.4 Water Pollution

Groundwater and surface water can both become polluted by human activities (as well as through natural causes). This can be a problem for humans as well as other organisms.

A range fo pollution management strategies can be applied to prevent or minimise the extent of the pollution, or clean it up after the pollutants have have entered the system.

Chapter Workbook

• Compare the dissolved oxygen content of at least three different water samples using the Winkler method.
• Use secondary data to compare and contrast the impact of water pollution in two named areas.

Full PSOW here .

“Describe and evaluate pollution management strategies to tackle fertiliser-related eutrophication.” [9 marks]

View essay markbands

The essay should marked using the Paper 2, Section B essay markbands.

PDF Version

Google Docs 4.4 essay

Open the link and make a copy to your own drive. The doc can easily be shared as an “Assignment” on Google Classroom.

A markbands rubric designed for Google Classroom is available here .

• Biology Article
• Water Pollution Control

Water Pollution And Its Control

Water is one of the most vital natural resources on earth and has been around for a long time. In fact, the same water which we drink has been around in one form or the other since the time of the dinosaurs.

The earth has more than two-thirds of its surface covered with water. This translates to just over 1 octillion litres (1,260,000,000,000,000,000,000 litres) of water distributed in the oceans, rivers, lakes and streams.

That is a lot of water, however, less than 0.3% is accessible for human consumption. As commercialization and industrialization have progressed, that number continues to dwindle down. Furthermore, inefficient and outdated practices, lack of awareness and a plethora of other circumstances have led to water pollution.

Also Read: How Can We Conserve Water?

• Water pollution
• Modern Epidemic

Minamata Incident

• Ganges River

What is Water Pollution?

Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of water bodies. Water pollution is caused when water bodies such as rivers, lakes, oceans, groundwater and aquifers get contaminated with industrial and agricultural effluents.

When water gets polluted, it adversely affects all lifeforms that directly or indirectly depend on this source. The effects of water contamination can be felt for years to come.

Also Refer:  Types of Pollution

Sources Of Water Pollution

The key causative of water pollution in India are:

• Urbanization.
• Deforestation.
• Industrial effluents.
• Social and Religious Practices.
• Use of Detergents and Fertilizers.
• Agricultural run-offs- Use of insecticides and pesticides.

Water Pollution – A Modern Epidemic

One of the primary causes of water pollution is the contamination of water bodies by toxic chemicals. As seen in the example mentioned above, the dumped plastic bottles, tins, water cans and other wastes pollute the water bodies. These result in water pollution, which harms not just humans, but the whole ecosystem. Toxins drained from these pollutants, travel up to the food chain and eventually affect humans. In most cases, the outcome is destructive to only the local population and species, but it can have an impact on a global scale too.

Nearly 6 billion kilograms of garbage is dumped every year in the oceans. Apart from industrial effluents and untreated sewage, other forms of unwanted materials are dumped into various water bodies. These can range from nuclear waste to oil spills – the latter of which can render vast areas uninhabitable.

Effects Of Water Pollution

The effect of water pollution depends upon the type of pollutants and their concentration. Also, the location of water bodies is an important factor to determine the levels of pollution.

• Water bodies in the vicinity of urban areas are extremely polluted. This is the result of dumping garbage and toxic chemicals by industrial and commercial establishments.
• Water pollution drastically affects aquatic life. It affects their metabolism, and behaviour, and causes illness and eventual death. Dioxin is a chemical that causes a lot of problems from reproduction to uncontrolled cell growth or cancer. This chemical is bioaccumulated in fish, chicken and meat. Chemicals such as this travel up the food chain before entering the human body.
• The effect of water pollution can have a huge impact on the food chain. It disrupts the food chain. Cadmium and lead are some toxic substances, these pollutants upon entering the food chain through animals (fish when consumed by animals, humans) can continue to disrupt at higher levels.
• Humans are affected by pollution and can contract diseases such as hepatitis through faecal matter in water sources. Poor drinking water treatment and unfit water can always cause an outbreak of infectious diseases such as cholera, etc.
• The ecosystem can be critically affected, modified and destructured because of water pollution.

The Minamata Incident marked one of the worst cases of water pollution

In 1932, a factory in Minamata City, Japan began dumping its industrial effluent – Methylmercury, into the surrounding bay and the sea. Methylmercury is incredibly toxic to humans and animals alike, causing a wide range of neurological disorders.

Its ill effects were not immediately noticeable. However, this all changed as methylmercury started to bioaccumulate inside shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay. These affected organisms were then caught and consumed by the local population. Soon, the ill effects of methylmercury were becoming apparent.

Initially, animals such as cats and dogs were affected by this. The city’s cats would often convulse and make strange noises before dying – hence, the term “dancing cat disease” was coined. Soon, the same symptoms were observed in people, though the cause was not apparent at the time.

Other affected people showed symptoms of acute mercury poisoning such as ataxia, muscle weakness, loss of motor coordination, damage to speech and hearing etc. In severe cases, paralysis occurred, which was followed by coma and death.  These diseases and deaths continued for almost 36 years before they could be officially acknowledged by the government and the organisation.

Since then, various control measures for water pollution have been adopted by the government of Japan to curb such environmental disasters in the future.

Pollution of the Ganges

Some rivers, lakes, and groundwater are rendered unfit for usage. In India, the River Ganges is the sixth most polluted river in the world. This is unsurprising as hundreds of industries nearby release their effluents into the river. Furthermore, religious activities such as burials and cremations near the shore contribute to pollution. Apart from the ecological implications, this river poses a serious health risks as it can cause diseases like typhoid and cholera.

Pollution of the Ganges is also driving some of the distinct fauna to extinction. The Ganges River shark is a critically endangered species that belong to the order Carcharhiniformes. The Ganges River dolphin is another  endangered species of dolphin that is found in the tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.

As per a survey, by the end of 2026, around 4 billion people will face a shortage of water. Presently, around 1.2 billion people worldwide do not have access to clean, potable water and proper sanitation. It is also projected that nearly 1000 children die every year in India due to water-related issues. Groundwater is an important source of water, but unfortunately, even that is susceptible to pollution. Hence, water pollution is quite an important social issue that needs to be addressed promptly.

Control Measures of Water Pollution

Water pollution, to a larger extent, can be controlled by a variety of methods. Rather than releasing sewage waste into water bodies, it is better to treat them before discharge. Practising this can reduce the initial toxicity and the remaining substances can be degraded and rendered harmless by the water body itself. If the secondary treatment of water has been carried out, then this can be reused in sanitary systems and agricultural fields.

A very special plant, the Water Hyacinth can absorb dissolved toxic chemicals such as cadmium and other such elements. Establishing these in regions prone to such kinds of pollutants will reduce the adverse effects to a large extent.

Some chemical methods that help in the control of water pollution are precipitation, the ion exchange process, reverse osmosis , and coagulation. As an individual, reusing, reducing, and recycling wherever possible will advance a long way in overcoming the effects of water pollution.

Further Reading:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is sewage treatment.

Wastewater treatment or sewage treatment generally refers to the process of cleaning or removing all pollutants, treating wastewater and making it safe and suitable for drinking before releasing it into the environment.

What are the main steps in sewage treatment?

There are four main stages of the wastewater treatment process, namely:

• Stage 1: Screening
• Stage 2: Primary treatment
• Stage 3: Secondary treatment
• Stage 4: Final treatment

What are the main causes of water pollution?

The main causes of water pollution are attributed to

• Industrial activities
• Urbanization
• Religious and social practices
• Agricultural runoff
• Accidents (such as oil spills, nuclear fallouts etc)

What are the effects of water pollution?

Water pollution can have disastrous consequences on the ecosystem. Furthermore, toxic chemicals can travel through the food chain and get into our bodies, causing diseases and death.

To learn more about water pollution, causes, effects, preventive measures and other important environmental concerns (such as eutrophication), visit us at BYJU’S Biology.

Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!

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Water Pollution

Water Pollution introduces students to the causes and effects of pollution in the water. Students will discover ways to prevent water pollution as well. The activity worksheet in particular will help them solidify their understanding of why pollution is bad and help them explain to others why they should likewise help keep the water clean.

There are several suggestions listed in the “Options for Lesson” section that you can take advantage of in your lesson. One such suggestion is to invite a guest speaker from the water company or a sewage plant to come speak with the students.

Description

Additional information, what our water pollution lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: Water Pollution explores the negative effects of pollutants in our water sources. Students will discover some causes and effects of water pollution, as well as some ways to prevent it. By the end of the lesson, they should understand why it is important to keep the world’s H 2 O sources clean. This lesson is for students in 3rd grade and 4th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the yellow box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand. In addition to the handouts, this lesson requires colored pencils or markers, construction paper or poster boards, and scratch paper. You will also need to ensure students have internet access for researching purposes.

Options for Lesson

There are a number of suggestions in the “Options for Lesson” section of additional activities and tasks that you could incorporate into the lesson plan. One suggestion is to invite a guest speaker from the water company or a sewage plant to speak with the class and answer their questions. Another idea is to obtain a local or state map that shows various bodies of water and their sources. You could also use pH strips or some other kind of testing kit to test the quality of water samples that you gather from different sources. One last idea is to introduce students to developing countries that have problems with clean water and describe some solutions that people could use to filter it better.

Teacher Notes

This page provides an extra paragraph of information or guidance as you prepare the lesson. It stresses how important it is that students understand the effects of water pollution and points out that they could face these issues in their lives. Use the blank lines to write down any other ideas or thoughts you might have regarding the lesson material.

WATER POLLUTION LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

The Water Pollution lesson plan contains four pages of content. The first page provides students with some background information on what pollution is and why it is bad. All living organisms need food, oxygen, and water to survive. The main source of oxygen for humans is the air. If that air is not clean, however, it can cause health issues. People with asthma, for instance, have a hard time breathing when the air is dirty. In some countries, the air quality is bad enough that people have to cover their noses and mouths with a mask.

The reason behind dirty air has to do with pollution. Pollution includes substances in the environment that are harmful or dangerous for living things. Besides the air, it can also affect water and the land in general. Different types of pollution include air, noise, land, and light. Some of these cause only minor issues, but others can lead to serious problems for all living things. One of the worst kinds is water pollution. Because water is a necessity of life for all living organisms, polluted water causes a lot of issues in the world.

Students will discover that the human body is about 70% water, which is why drinking water regularly is good for their health. The water we consume needs to be clean. Even for plants, if the water is unclean, the plants will die or become unhealthy to eat. Water makes up 70% of the Earth’s surface, most of which is found in the oceans. Ocean water is salty, so it’s not safe to drink. Only 1% of the water on Earth is fresh water, which we find in lakes, rivers, streams, and reservoirs. If these sources become polluted and dirty, there is even less safe drinking water.

Sadly, humans are the cause of much of the water pollution that exists. Polluted water is simply unsafe to drink. While humans should not drink salt water either, pollution in oceans is still bad. Humans may not be able to survive by drinking salt water, but the living organisms in the oceans can and do. Pollution is also bad for oceans because it can cause problems for all the aquatic life living in them.

When different particles, chemicals, and other substances cause water to become unsafe, the water becomes polluted. Sometimes those pollutants flow directly into the water from a factory. Other times, it flows indirectly from rainwater that mixes with farm chemicals or from construction sites or other places that release unsafe chemicals. All rainwater eventually seeps into the ground and flows into rivers, lakes, or streams. So if rainwater is polluted, the pollution will eventually affect the freshwater sources.

In some countries, unsafe drinking water is the leading cause of death. There are places in the world where people drink bad water because they have no other choice. They need water to survive. The pollution can happen naturally due to volcanoes, excessive algae, or silt from storms and floods. However, humans often contribute to the problem even more. Human causes include sewage, pesticides and fertilizers, chemicals, and trash.

Types of Pollution

The lesson lists eight types of water pollution: nutrients, surface water, oxygen depleting, ground water, microbiological, suspended matter, chemical water, and oil spillage. Nutrients pollution occurs when excessive algae and plant growth that takes place in water bodies release too many nutrients into the water. Too much algae, for instance, takes away the oxygen from the water, which means other organisms may die.

Similarly, oxygen depleting is when decaying matter is released into water, leading to more microorganisms that use up the oxygen. Some of these organisms even produce harmful chemicals that can kill other living things. Microbiological pollution happens when many people drink water directly from rivers or streams without first treating the water. The natural pollution in this water can cause illness to humans and other animals.

Suspended matter is when some pollutants do not dissolve in the water and instead sink to the bottom, killing organisms that live there. Chemical water pollution occurs when the chemicals people use end up in the water. It also includes metals and solvents from factories that are poisonous to aquatic life, which slows their growth, makes them infertile, or kills them.

Prevention Methods

Students will learn several ways that they can help prevent water pollution or assist in cleaning up polluted waters. Though some pollution is not possible to prevent, there are ways to help keep water clean. One of the first things we can do is inform others about the effects of polluted water and explain why keeping water clean is essential to survival.

The lesson lists several facts students could share with others to inform them of the issue. Around 14 billion pounds of mostly plastic garbage ends up in the water every single year. In the United States alone, 1.2 trillion gallons of sewage is dumped into the water each year. Nearly 90% of wastewater flows untreated into lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. Over 3 million children under the age of five die every year because of diseases caused by drinking polluted water and poor sanitation. Nearly 1 billion people in the world don’t even have access to clean water sources.

Students can then read through five suggestions of things they can do to prevent polluting water themselves. They can first reduce the amount of water they use when doing things like taking showers or brushing their teeth. They should also not dump paints, oils, medicines, or chemicals down the drain or into the toilet. Another suggestion is to encourage their parents to buy cleaning supplies that are eco-friendly. One other great option is to plant more trees and flowers.

WATER POLLUTION LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The Water Pollution lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. Each one will help reinforce students’ comprehension of the lesson material. The guidelines on the classroom procedure page outlines when you give your students each handout.

PREVENTION POSTERS ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

Students will work with a partner for the activity. Using the supplies you provide, they will create a poster that encourages people to prevent water pollution. They will need to be creative and use words, images, logo, and slogans to demonstrate why this is important. In addition to a catchy title and the images and slogans, they should include facts that relate to the concept of preventing pollution. After they complete their poster, they will respond to three questions at the bottom of the worksheet.

MULTIPLE CHOICE PRACTICE WORKSHEET

For the practice worksheet, students will answer 10 questions. You can choose whether or not students can use the content pages for reference when they need help. This worksheet could also work well as a quiz if you want to test students on their level of comprehension.

WATER POLLUTION HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

The homework assignment has two sections. The first section contains 12 statements. Students must match the type of pollution from the word bank to the statements. They will use some terms more than once. The second section requires students to fill in the blanks in eight sentences. There is no work bank for this section, so students will need to remember what they learned during the lesson. However, like the practice worksheet, you may choose to allow them to use the content pages for help if they need it.

Worksheet Answer Keys

The last two pages of the lesson plan document are answer keys for the practice and homework worksheets. The answers are all in red to make it easy for you to compare to students’ responses. Because there are no open-ended or opinion-based prompts, students’ answers should mirror those on these pages. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.

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Great Resource!

I have to cover water pollution and it's not really covered in our textbook. I found this resource during a quick Google search and I am really happy with it! I printed everything out and scanned the reading portion to create a Google Classroom assignment, that I posted along with the links to to associated Learn Bright videos. Thanks for such a thorough and engaging resource!

Good experience!

I love using this site for my lessons. It helps me a lot not only for having those information from the text but also it can give us more ideas on how to teach some particular topics.

Water pollution

This was a well written lesson that went smoothly into the rest of the unit.

I just wish you might have some kid books that you would recommend to go along with this lesson. It's hard to do the internet here where we live so checking the online sources isn't really an option for us. Other than that my child enjoyed learning about all the ways water gets polluted.

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Water Pollution Experiment

Water pollution is something we are all far to aware of. Whether it is plastics in our oceans or substances in our waterways that are invisible to our naked eye, there are many things upsetting the health and balance of our water. In this simple experiment, we explored the impact of a change in pH in water on plants.

Water Pollution Science Experiment

What you will discover in this article!

Disclaimer: This article may contain commission or affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. Not seeing our videos? Turn off any adblockers to ensure our video feed can be seen. Or visit our YouTube channel to see if the video has been uploaded there. We are slowly uploading our archives. Thanks!

Water Pollution Experiment Video

Before we dive into the science behind water pollution and the details of this experiment. Here is a video of us conducting the experiment. If you can’t see the video, please turn off your adblockers. If you are still struggling to see the video, you can also find it on the STEAM Powered Family YouTube Channel .

Before we jump into our water pollution science experiment, let’s explore some water pollution facts and science.

What is Water Pollution?

Water pollution is when water bodies (ponds, wetlands, rivers, stream, canals, oceans) become infected by either visible or invisible pollutants. Pollutants can include garbage, sewage, factory waste, or chemicals such as pesticides or fertilizers. Pollution can also occur due to pH or temperature changes to the water bodies which causes microscopic organisms like bacteria to multiply to harmful levels.

Water pollution is dangerous for our entire ecosystem. Water is essential for life on this planet. If our water becomes unsafe and harmful, it can have devastating consequences.

What Causes Water Pollution?

There are many causes for water pollution including:

• Industry waste
• Sewage and wastewater
• Oil leaks and spills
• Garbage dumping in water ways
• Agricultural run off
• Global warming

What are the Effects of Water Pollution?

Water pollution has a number of negative effects in three main areas.

Health – Poor water quality is a major health issue for humans, animals and plants. According to the UN , ‘every year more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war’. This is staggering.

The Environment – Nature has a very delicate balance. All the animal and plant species in an ecosystem rely on each other in order to survive and thrive. Pollution can disrupt the natural balance and relationships between species causing loss and devastation.

Economy – Yes, water pollution costs money. It directly impacts commercial fishing, recreational businesses, tourism and even property values, all of which rely on clean water. 

So now we know how damaging water pollution can be, what can we do about it?

What can we do about Water Pollution?

First, educate yourself on the issues around water pollution by reading, doing experiments and becoming aware of the issues. Awareness is the most important first step. One way to do this, is to participate in World Water Day on March 22 or World Oceans Day on June 8 events in your area.

What else can you do? Here are just a few more ideas.

Reduce any pollution you are putting into our water systems. One popular item discussed around here is glitter. Glitter is often microplastics which can end up in our water systems. Here at STEAM Powered Family we have made a point of using biodegradable glitter for our projects, that is made from plant materials.

Don’t use harmful fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides in your gardens.

Clean up properly after your pets. Human and animal waste is a very common source of water pollution.

Don’t flush medications, trash or other items down the drain that will pollute the water supplies.

Support businesses that commit themselves to protecting our environment and waterways. Money talks and by supporting businesses that are putting our planet first, we can make big changes on a global level.

Support clean water initiatives in your community and around the world.

This simple science experiment exploring the effect of water pollution on plants, is focused on changes to the pH of water. Water has a pH of approximately 7, but contaminants in the environment can lower (or acidify) water creating acid rain, which has a pH of approximately 4.

This experiment relies on the plants taking in polluted water. Plants take in water through a process called osmosis.

Osmosis Definition

Osmosis is defined as the movement of a liquid or solvent (such as water) through a semipermeable membrane (as of a living cell) into a solution of higher solute concentration. This tends to equalize the concentrations of solute on the two sides of the membrane.

Osmosis is about finding a natural balance.

In the case of plants, the plant takes in water from the soil through its roots through the process of osmosis. It is then transported through the planet to nourish and sustain it.

But what happens if that water is polluted?

Applying the Scientific Method

This is an excellent experiment to apply the scientific method. The scientific method is a way of approaching an experiment in a systematic way. It involves 7 steps:

• Ask a Question – In this experiment our question is: What effect does water pollution have on plants?
• Research – We researched water pollution and how plants use water to help us understand the science before starting our experiment.
• Develop a Hypothesis – A hypothesis is an educated guess or prediction for what might happen during our experiment. Our hypothesis is that the polluted water will be taken in by the plant, and that water with a low pH will kill the plant.
• Experiment – Now we run our experiment. See below for how we did the experiment.
• Observe and Evaluate – This is where things got exciting in our experiment. Our observations were very interesting.
• Analyze the Results – We spent some time hypothesizing why we got the results we did.
• Share the Results – Next we prepared our results to share with all of you!

The Experiment – The Effect of Water Pollution on Plants

For this experiment we needed some simple supplies.

White flowers – we had tulips, but any readily available white flower will work Jars – Enough for the number of flowers you want to test Water White Vinegar Scissors Food coloring

This experiment has two different parts. We decided we wanted to go beyond a simple osmosis experiment, which would demonstrate how plants take in pollutants in water, and see how altered pH in water would affect the plants as well.

Into each jar add the same amount of water. If possible you can use distilled water, but tap water should be fine. As long as your water source is consistent. I added approximately 1/2 cup of water to each jar.

Into all but one jar add a few drops of food coloring. I went with a different color for each jar so we could try and create a rainbow.

In the last jar, add a few drops of white vinegar instead of food coloring.

Cut all your flower stems to the same length and remove any extra leaves if required. You want the flowers to be as identical as possible.

Place one flower in each jar.

Now wait 24 hours.

After 24 hours examine your flowers to see what has happened.

The Results

Osmosis experiment.

It was interesting to see the white flowers changing colors due to the food coloring. It was a great demonstration on how the pollutants in the water could be seen visibly traveling through the flowers. Even the leaves on some of the flowers started changing from green to the color of the food coloring. This made for an interesting discussion into how this could affect photosynthesis.

Photosythesis is the process used by plants, to use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis relies on the green color of the leaves which is chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct. So what might happen if pollutants changed the green color? It made for an interesting discussion.

Acidic Water Experiment

Then came the really fascinating part of the experiment. We expected our low pH jar and flower, the one with a big of vinegar added, would wilt and die overnight. It didn’t die. In fact the flower looked fine. What was interesting was how the stem of the flower wilted and curled up.

Look at the stems on the left. They took in the food coloring through osmosis, but since the food coloring is not toxic and doesn’t affect pH, it only changed the color of the stems. But the two on the right were in acidic water and their stems shriveled up.

Here are some close up shots of the stems so you can see the difference.

This lead to some fascinating discussions about how this would affect osmosis. And around what was actually happening. Was it a defense mechanism from the plant trying to protect itself from the acidic water? Or was it the cells of the stem breaking down from the acidity? Next time we are planning on making some slides so we can compare the plant cells from the stems of healthy flowers to these damaged stems.

More Environmental Sciences Experiments

If you are doing a unit study on the environment and want more experiment ideas, I highly recommend the following experiments along with this one.

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.

102 Water Pollution Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Water pollution essays are an excellent way to demonstrate your awareness of the topic and your position on the solutions to the issue. To help you ease the writing process, we prepared some tips, essay topics, and research questions about water pollution.

🌎 Air and Water pollution: Essay Writing Tips

🏆 best water pollution essay topics & examples, 📌 remarkable air and water pollution research topics, 👍 good research topics about water pollution, ❓ research questions about water pollution.

Water’s ready availability in many locations makes it an easy choice for a variety of purposes, from cleaning to manufacturing to nuclear reactor cooling. However, many companies will then dump water, now mixed with waste, back into rivers or lakes without adequate cleaning, leading to significant environmental pollution.

However, there are other types of harm, such as noise pollution, which are less obvious but also dangerous to sea life. It is critical that you understand what you should and should not do during your writing process.

The stance that big manufacturing industries are the sole culprits of the damage done to the world’s rivers and oceans is a popular one. However, do not neglect the effects of other water pollution essay topics such as microorganisms.

Microbes can spread dangerous illnesses, making them a danger for both water inhabitants and the people who then use that water. Furthermore, they can eat up oxygen if left unchecked, starving fish and other water organisms and eventually making them die out.

Such situations usually result from agricultural practices, which can lead to powerful nutrients entering the water and enabling algae and other microorganisms to grow excessively. An overly lively environment can be as harmful as one where everything is threatened.

With that said, industrial manufacturers deserve much of the attention and blame they receive from various communities. Construction of dedicated waste-cleaning facilities is usually possible, but companies avoid doing so because the process will increase their costs.

You should advocate for green practices, but be mindful of the potential impact of a significant price increase on the global economy. Also, be sure to mention more exotic pollution variations in your types of water pollution essay.

Provide examples of noise pollution or suspended matter pollution to expand on the topic of the complexity of the harm humanity causes to the ecosphere.

You should show your understanding that there are many causes, and we should work on addressing all of them, a notion you should repeat in your water pollution essay conclusions.

However, you should try to avoid being sidetracked too much and focus on the titles of pollution and its immediate causes.

If you stretch far enough, you may connect the matter to topics such as the status of a woman in Islam. However, doing so contributes little to nothing to your point and deviates from the topic of ecology into social and religious studies.

Leave the search for connections to dedicated researchers and concentrate on discussing the major causes that are known nowadays. By doing this, you will be able to create an excellent and powerful work that will demonstrate your understanding of the topic.

Here are some tips for your writing:

• Be sure to discuss the different types of pollution that is caused by the same source separately. Surface and groundwater pollution are different in their effects and deserve separate discussions.
• Focus on the issues and not on solutions, as an essay does not provide enough space to discuss the latter in detail.
• Be sure to discuss the effects of pollution on people and other land inhabitants as well as on water creatures.

Check IvyPanda to get more water pollution essay titles, paper ideas, and other useful samples!

• Water Pollution: Causes, Effects and Possible Solutions This is why clean water is required in all the places to make sure the people and all the living creatures in the planet live a good and healthy life.
• Air and Water Pollution in the Modern World The high number of vehicles in the city has greatly promoted air pollution in the area. Poor sewerage system, high pollution from industries and automobiles are among the major causes of air and water pollutions […]
• Water Pollution: Causes, Effects, and Prevention Farmers should be encouraged to embrace this kind of farming which ensures that the manure used is biodegradable and do not end up accumulating in the water bodies once they are washed off by floods.
• Water Pollution in the Philippines: Metropolitan Manila Area In this brief economic analysis of water pollution in Metro Manila, it is proposed to look at the industrial use of waters and the household use to understand the impact that the population growth and […]
• Coca-Cola India and Water Pollution Issues The first difficulty that the representatives of the Coca-Cola Company happened to face due to their campaign in the territory of India was caused by the concerns of the local government.
• Cashion Water Quality: Spatial Distribution of Water Pollution Incidents This essay discusses the quality of water as per the report of 2021 obtained from the municipality, the quality issue and the source of pollution, and how the pollution impacts human health and the environment […]
• Water Pollution: OIL Spills Aspects The effects of the oil spill on a species of ducks called the Harlequin ducks were formulated and the author attempted to trace out the immediate and residual effects of the oil on the birds.
• Water Pollution and Associated Health Risks The results of plenty of studies indicate the existence of the relation between the contamination of water by hazardous chemicals and the development of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, asthma, allergies, as well as reproductive […]
• Water Pollution as a Crime Against the Environment In particular, water pollution is a widespread crime against the environment, even though it is a severe felony that can result in harm to many people and vast territories.
• Importance of Mercury Water Pollution Problem Solutions The severity of the mercury contamination consequences depends on the age of the person exposed to the contamination, the way of contamination, the health condition, and many other factors.
• Newark Water Crisis: Water Pollution Problem The main problem was rooted in the fact that lead levels in the drinking water were highly elevated, which is dangerous and detrimental to the population’s health.
• Water Pollution in a Community: Mitigation Plan Though for the fact that planet earth is abundant with water and almost two-thirds of the planet is made up of water still it is viewed that in future years, a shortage of water may […]
• Food Distribution and Water Pollution Therefore, food distribution is one of the central reasons for water pollution. According to Greenpeace, one of the ways to improve the ecology of the planet is by creating healthy food markets.
• Lake Erie Water Pollution There are worries among the members of the community that the lake could be facing another episode of high toxicity, and they have called for the authorities to investigate the main causes of the pollution […]
• Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan All players need to be trained in significant areas of business so as they can handle them with care and beware of the potential they have in causing damage.
• Water Pollution in the US: Causes and Control Although water pollution can hardly be ceased entirely, the current rates of water pollution can be reduced by resorting to the sustainable principle of water use in both the industrial area and the realm of […]
• Water Pollution and Management in the UAE The groundwater in UAE meets the needs of 51% of users in terms of quantity mainly for irrigation. Surface water is the source of groundwater and plays a major role in groundwater renewal.
• Water Pollution and Its Challenges Water pollution refers to a situation where impurities find way into water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and ground water. This is a form of pollution where impurities enter water bodies through distinct sources such […]
• Water Pollution Sources, Effects and Control Unfortunately, not all the users of water are responsible to ensure that proper disposal or treatment of the used water is done before the water is returned to the water bodies.
• Water in Crisis: Public Health Concerns in Africa In the 21st century, the world faces a crisis of contaminated water, which is the result of industrialization and is a major problem in developing countries.
• Air and Water Pollution Thus, it is classified as a primary pollutant because it is the most common pollutants in the environment. In the environment, the impact of carbon monoxide is felt overtime, since it leads to respiratory problems.
• Causes of Water Pollution and the Present Environmental Solution Prolonged pollution of water has even caused some plants to grow in the water, which pose danger to the living entities that have their inhabitants in the water.
• Water Pollution & Diseases (Undeveloped Nations) Restriction on movement and access to the affected area affects trade and the loss of human life and deteriorated health is a major blow on the economy and on the quality of human life.
• Water and Water Pollution in Point of Economics’ View This research tries to explain the importance of water especially in an economist’s perspective by explaining the uses of water in various fields, pollution of water and the agents of pollution.
• Environmental Justice Issues Affecting African Americans: Water Pollution Water pollution in the 1960s occurred due to poor sewage systems in the urban and rural areas. Unlike in the 1960s, there are reduced cases of water pollution today.
• Water Pollution and Wind Energy Chemical pollution of water is one of the leading causes of death of aquatic life. It is thus evident that chemical pollution of water not only has negative effects on health, but it also substantially […]
• Air and Water Pollution in Los Angeles One of the major problems facing major cities and towns in the world is pollution; wastes from firms and households are the major causes of pollution.
• Water Pollution Causes and Climate Impacts The biggest percentage of sewage waste consists of water, treating the wastes for recycling would help in maintaining a constant supply of water.
• Water Pollution Origins and Ways of Resolving The evidence provided by environmental agencies indicates that industrial agriculture is one of the factors that significantly contribute to the deterioration of water quality.
• Mud Lick Creek Project – Fresh Water Pollution This potential source of pollutants poses significant risks to the quality of water at the creek in terms altering the temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and the turbidity of the water.
• Water Pollution in the Jamaican Society
• Water Pollution and Abstraction and Economic Instruments
• Water Pollution and Individual Effects of Water Pollution
• Understanding What Causes Water Pollution
• An Analysis of Water Pollution as a Global Plague That Affects the People, Animals and Plants
• Water Pollution Through Urban and Rural Land Use and Freshwater Allocation in New Zealand
• Water Pollution: Globalization, One of the Causes and Part of the Solution
• Voluntary Incentives for Reducing Agricultural Nonpoint Source Water Pollution
• The Impact of Water Pollution on Public Health in Flint, Michigan
• Understanding Water Pollution and Its Causes
• The Promises and Pitfalls of Devolution: Water Pollution Policies in the American States
• We Must Fight Against Water Pollution
• Transaction Costs and Agricultural Nonpoint-Source Water Pollution Control Policies
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• US Water Pollution Regulation over the Past Half Century: Burning Waters to Crystal Springs
• Environmental Impact and Health Risks of Water Pollution to a Child
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• The Problem of Oil Spills and Water Pollution in Alaska
• Water Pollution in the United State: The Causes and Effects
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• The Importance of Recycling to Prevent Water Pollution
• Water Pollution and Its Effects on The Environment
• The Sources, Environmental Impact, and Control of Water Pollution
• Water Quality and Contamination of Water Pollution
• Water Pollution and the World’s Worst Forms of Pollution
• The Problem of Water Pollution and the Solutions
• Comparing Contrast Legislative Approach Controlling Water Pollution Industrial
• An Analysis of the Water Pollution and it’s Effects on the Environment
• Water Pollution and The Natural Environment
• The Importance of Clean Drinking Water Pollution
• Water Pollution and Arsenic Pollution
• The Issue of Water Pollution in the Drinking Water in Brisbane
• What Are the Causes and Effects of Water Pollution?
• What Is the Effect of Water Pollution on Humanity?
• How Can Leaders Tackle with Water Pollution in China?
• What Is the Drinking Water Pollution Control Act?
• What Was the Social Water Pollution?
• How Non-Point Is Water Pollution Controlled in Agriculture?
• What Is Canada’s Water Pollution Dilemma?
• Water Pollution: Why Is There Trash in the Ocean?
• What Are the Problems Associated with Water Pollution?
• What Is the Connection Between Air and Water Pollution?
• How Water Pollution Effects Marine Life?
• What Are the Leading Factors of Water Pollution Around the World?
• Why Is Water Pollution an Important Issue Environmental Sciences?
• What Are the Factors That Causes Water Pollution and Its Effects on the World Today?
• What Are There Inorganic Chemicals Cause Water Pollution?
• How Does Drinking Water Pollution Impact the World Environmental Sciences?
• Is There a Connection Between Drinking Water Quality and Water Pollution?
• How to Deal with the Big Problem of Deforestation and Water Pollution in Brazil and the Colombian Amazon?
• Why Is China’s Water Pollution Challenge?
• What Is the Ground Water Pollution Assignment?
• How to Deal the Big Problem of Water Pollution in the World?
• How to Reduce Air and Water Pollution?
• What Is the Harmonizing Model with Transfer Tax on Water Pollution Across Regional Boundaries in China’s Lake Basin?
• Are the Causes and Effects of Water Pollution Determined in Lake Huron?
• Can Water Pollution Policy Be Efficient?
• What Are the Kinds of Water Pollution Environmental Sciences?
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• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Biden administration sets landmark rules to clean up US power sector

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Valerie Volcovici covers U.S. climate and energy policy from Washington, DC. She is focused on climate and environmental regulations at federal agencies and in Congress and how the energy transition is transforming the United States. Other areas of coverage include her award-winning reporting plastic pollution and the ins and outs of global climate diplomacy and United Nations climate negotiations.

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EPA limits 4 types of power plant pollution with sweeping rulemaking

Power plants account for more than one-quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

The Biden administration on Thursday announced a series of new rules designed to cut pollution emitted from coal and natural gas-fired power plants having an impact on air, water, land and climate.

"The electricity industry is central to America's economic growth and independence. These are the folks who keep the lights on and power our country forward," Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said. "At the same time, the power sector is also a major contributor to the pollution that drives climate change and threatens public health."

"At EPA it is our responsibility to act within the bounds of our legal authority and assess impacts in a way that is smart, effective, follows the latest science and enables our economy to grow and thrive," he added.

At a news conference marking the formal announcement of the new rules Thursday at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Regan described the environmental and public health challenges posed by pollution.

"One of the biggest environmental challenges facing our nation is manmade pollution -- pollution that damages our air, our water, our land. Pollution that has a disastrous impact on the health and the vitality of people all across this country," he said. "Not only is this pollution a major threat to public health, but it's pushing our planet to the brink."

Power plants account for more than one-quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA, making them one of the most potent sources of climate pollution in the country.

"The age of unbridled climate pollution from power plants is over. These standards cut carbon emissions, at last, from the single largest industrial source," Manish Bapna, president and chief executive officer of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said. "They fit hand-in-glove with the clean energy incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act to make sure we cut our carbon footprint. They will reduce other dangerous pollutants that foul the air we breathe and threaten our health."

The agency claims these four new regulations, taken together, will represent a massive reduction in pollution and hundreds of billions of dollars in climate and public health benefits. In announcing the suite of rules, Regan made reference to the disproportionate impacts faced by frontline communities.

"More than 70% of the nation's coal and natural gas plants are located in communities of color or low-income communities, making their health impacts and outcomes disproportionately worse," he explained. "Folks, this is simply unacceptable. And that's why today I'm proud to announce that EPA is finalizing four separate rules that rely on their own authorities to reduce pollution from coal and natural gas power plants."

Decarbonizing the power sector

The first of the new EPA rules updates a provision of the Clean Air Act to require existing coal-fired power plants and new natural gas plants to control 90% of their carbon pollution through technologies like carbon capture.

Through 2047, an administration regulatory impact analysis found this new standard will avoid 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon pollution -- the equivalent of 328 million gas-powered cars' annual emissions.

Evergreen Action senior policy lead for the power sector Charles Harper told ABC News that the decarbonization measure is a "major game changer for climate action in this country," saying it will, "get at one of the largest sources of carbon pollution in the economy."

MORE: EPA designates 2 forever chemicals as hazardous substances, eligible for Superfund cleanup

The Biden administration says the rule will create $370 billion in climate and public health benefits in the next 20 years, including 1,200 avoided premature deaths and 1,900 cases of asthma onset avoided.

"It's a real win for climate change and folks who live on planet Earth," Harper added.

Edison Electric Institute, an organization representing U.S. investor-owned electric companies, told ABC News it supports the EPA move, but has concerns.

"While we appreciate and support EPA's work to develop a clear, continued path for the transition to cleaner resources, we are disappointed that the agency did not address the concerns we raised about carbon capture and storage (CCS)," EEI President and CEO Dan Brouillette said in a statement. "CCS is not yet ready for full-scale, economy-wide deployment, nor is there sufficient time to permit, finance, and build the CCS infrastructure needed for compliance by 2032."

"We will remain engaged with EPA and with state agencies as they implement these rules," the organization added. "We also will continue to work constructively with EPA as it develops a new proposal for existing natural gas turbines."

Tightening mercury and air toxics standards

Another rule updates the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) for coal-fired plants.

One provision of the rule tightens the emissions standard for toxic metals by 67%. The other requires a 70% reduction in the mercury emissions standard specifically from lignite coal-fired power plants.

"This new standard will also require the use of continuous emissions monitoring systems to provide real-time accurate data to facility operators and to the public to ensure that plants are meeting these lower limits and that communities are protected year round from pollution exposure," Regan said.

By 2028, the EPA estimates the new rule will result in 1,000 pounds of mercury emissions reductions in addition to seven tons of other hazardous air pollutant emissions, 770 tons of fine particulate matter pollution and others.

Reducing power plant waste water pollution

A third rule would reduce waste water pollutants from coal-fired power plants by over 660 million pounds per year, according to the EPA, with the goal of protecting freshwater and drinking water resources for communities around the country.

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The agency used its authority under the Clean Water Act for the implementation of this rule, which includes flexible compliance options for coal-fired plants with plans to stop burning coal by 2034. Plants intending to retire coal use will only need to meet current standards, rather than the updated, stricter ones.

President of the Hip Hop Caucus, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, told ABC News that even in divisive times, "people want clean air and clean water." Yearwood's organization works on environmental justice efforts, among other priorities.

"We don't get along right now in our country. We're not seeing eye to eye on too many things," Yearwood said. "But one thing that we see eye to eye on is that we all seem to want clean water."

MORE: EPA announces first-ever national standard limiting 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

Yearwood explained that often the burden of pollution falls disproportionately on Black, brown and Indigenous communities, whose communities may be considered "sacrifice zones" by polluters.

The EPA noted the impact of this rule on "communities with environmental justice concerns that are disproportionately impacted" in the release announcing the measures.

Coal ash containment protections

A final rule from the EPA marks the first federal regulation for the management of coal ash, including potential contamination of groundwater.

Burning coal in these power plants creates coal ash, which can contaminate waterways and water systems, in addition to the air, according to the EPA.

The rule, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, requires coal-fired power plants to control and clean coal ash that's a byproduct of their operation -- in addition to areas historically contaminated by coal ash.

"With this rule, we are ensuring that polluters are held accountable for controlling and cleaning up the contamination created by their disposal of coal ash," Regan said, noting that each of the four new rules contains "transparency requirements" to protect affected communities.

Election-year implications

This slate of rules is accompanied by a separate announcement from the Department of Energy of efforts to build out transmission lines to clean energy sources around the nation.

The new DOE rule creates the Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorization and Permits (CITAP) program, which aims to make the federal permitting process for transmission projects more efficient -- giving them a standardized two-year timeline.

At Thursday's formal announcement for the new rules — the latest in a months-long series of major rule announcements from the agency — Administrator Regan told ABC News the flow of new rules is a result of the sense of urgency the Biden Administration feels about tackling the climate crisis.

"From day one, the president pledged to be a leader on tackling the climate crisis. He pledged to be a leader on helping frontline communities. So we felt the urgency from day one. We're very proud of the series of technology standards that we've announced," he said, noting recent regulation announcements around PFAS and tailpipe emissions. "This is a holistic environmental approach that we've taken from day one, and we're really excited [while] recognizing that the job isn't done."

Asked by ABC News why the agency is just now finalizing so many rules -- as President Biden nears the end of this term -- Regan responded that the EPA was in "a hole" when Biden first took office.

"When President Biden took office, the EPA was in somewhat of a hole. The previous administration did not adequately fund the agency, nor did they seek to tackle these problems that we are tackling today. It takes time," he explained. "So, we have sort of revived the patient. We've done the science. We've done the analytical and legal rigor required to make these rules successful, and we're excited to be rolling these rules out and we'll continue to do what we need to do to protect communities and protect the environment.

Environmental organizations told ABC News they have been pressuring the Biden administration to get rules out the door before the Congressional Review Act period begins.

"There's this one law, called the Congressional Review Act, which might allow Republicans to try to meddle with some of the accomplishments by the Biden Administration and EPA and the Administration is very wary and cognizant of any deadlines posed by the Congressional Review Act," Harper told ABC News. "The fact that the EPA is finalizing all these rules and month of April means that they're likely insulated from any potential meddling by congressional Republicans."

Yearwood said these environmental regulations could have potential to sway the election, but said it'll be a "mad dash now," to see which way it goes.

"For my Republican friends, I think that you may have missed the ball with underestimating the importance of clean air and clean water for these communities. That may be their undoing," he said. "On the other hand, I think, for Democrats, I think that they are in a position where they may have waited too late, actually. This is something that I think should have been moving much stronger on."

"It just befuddles me that they waited so long to get to the soil on both standpoints. We'll see. It'll be a mad dash now because on one hand, I think that if this can be more crystallized for Americans, and they can understand the importance of climate, and particularly pollution, I think that this could actually tilt the scales from one way or the other," Yearwood said.

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