Main polluting factors of water

Potrero generating station outflow

Water pollution can be divided into:

• local – wastewater from households, businesses, farms
• widespread - runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from fields (also seeps into groundwater)

Biological pllution

Biological pollution is mainly caused by organic substances (silage juice, faeces, etc.)

Chemical pollution

Chemical water pollution is mainly caused by:

• Oil and petroleum products – These substances form a thin film on the surface of the water that prevents oxygenation and damages the feathers and fur of animals.

• 

  Znečištění vody ropou
  Detergents – These are cleaning and washing agents that contain so-called surfactants , i.e. surface-active substances that prevent gas exchange and are poisonous. If they also contain phosphates, they cause eutrophication of waters.
• Polychlorinated biphenyls – These substances are part of lubricants, paints and hydraulic fluids. These are toxic and carcinogenic substances that accumulate in fatty tissue. They seriously damage the nervous system, skin and immunity.
• Fertilizers and pesticides
• Heavy metals – Metals enter waterways from waste and emissions . They accumulate in organisms, mainly in fish and waterfowl.

Physical pollution

These are mainly the following types of pollution:

• Radioactive radiation – This pollution is caused by the mining and processing of uranium and the disposal of radioactive waste on the seabed.
• Thermal pollution – This is waste heat from the cooling water of power plants or from the metallurgical industry.
• Mechanical pollution – E.g. clogging of waterways.

Links

Related Articles

• Water pollution
• Imissions
• Emission

Resources

• LEDVINA, Miroslav, Alena STOKLASOVÁ a Jaroslav CERMAN. Biochemie pro studující medicíny. 2. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2009, 269 s. ISBN 978-802-4614-144.
• BENEŠOVÁ, Marika. Odmaturuj! z chemie. Vyd. 1. Brno: Didaktis, 208 s. ISBN 80-862-8556-1.
• Prezentace ze stránek Ústavu lékařské biochemie a laboratorní diagnostiky.