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Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, with a negative impact on their uses. [1]: 6 It is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. Water pollution results when contaminants mix with these water bodies. Contaminants can come from ...
Topsoil runoff from farm, central Iowa (2011). Water pollution in the United States is a growing problem that became critical in the 19th century with the development of mechanized agriculture, mining, and industry, although laws and regulations introduced in the late 20th century have improved water quality in many water bodies. [1]
Marine pollution made further international headlines after the 1967 crash of the oil tanker Torrey Canyon, and after the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill off the coast of California. [citation needed] Marine pollution was a major area of discussion during the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm.
A 2017 study found that 83% of tap water samples taken around the world contained plastic pollutants. [96] [97] This was the first study to focus on global drinking water pollution with plastics, [98] and showed that with a contamination rate of 94%, tap water in the United States was the most polluted, followed by Lebanon and India.
Groundwater pollution (also called groundwater contamination) occurs when pollutants are released to the ground and make their way into groundwater.This type of water pollution can also occur naturally due to the presence of a minor and unwanted constituent, contaminant, or impurity in the groundwater, in which case it is more likely referred to as contamination rather than pollution.
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination (or pollution) of water or air that does not originate from a single discrete source. This type of pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area.
Various definitions of pollution exist, which may or may not recognize certain types, such as noise pollution or greenhouse gases.The United States Environmental Protection Administration defines pollution as "Any substances in water, soil, or air that degrade the natural quality of the environment, offend the senses of sight, taste, or smell, or cause a health hazard.
The international pictogram for environmental hazards.. Environmental hazards are those hazards that affect biomes or ecosystems. [1] Well known examples include oil spills, water pollution, slash and burn deforestation, air pollution, ground fissures, [2] and build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide. [3]