Natural Resources

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Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, ocean and groundwater caused by human activities, which can be harmful to organisms and plants that live in these water bodies. Some of the causes of water pollution are shown in below figure:

We use the term water-pollution to cover the following effects:

1. The addition of undesirable substances to water-bodies. These substances could be the fertilizers and pesticides used in farming or they could be poisonous substances, like mercury salts which are used by paper-industries. These could also be disease-causing organisms, like the bacteria which cause cholera.
2. The removal of desirable substances from water-bodies. Dissolved oxygen is used by the animals and plants that live in water. Any change that reduces the amount of this dissolved oxygen would adversely affect these aquatic organisms. other nutrients could also be depleted from the water bodies.
3. A change in temperature. Aquatic organisms are used to a certain range of temperature in the water-body where they live, and a sudden marked change in this temperature would be dangerous for them or affect their breeding. The eggs and larvae of various animals are particularly susceptible to temperature changes.

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, ocean and groundwater caused by human activities, which can be harmful to organisms and plants that live in these water bodies. Some of the causes of water pollution are shown in below figure:

We use the term water-pollution to cover the following effects:

1. The addition of undesirable substances to water-bodies. These substances could be the fertilizers and pesticides used in farming or they could be poisonous substances, like mercury salts which are used by paper-industries. These could also be disease-causing organisms, like the bacteria which cause cholera.
2. The removal of desirable substances from water-bodies. Dissolved oxygen is used by the animals and plants that live in water. Any change that reduces the amount of this dissolved oxygen would adversely affect these aquatic organisms. other nutrients could also be depleted from the water bodies.
3. A change in temperature. Aquatic organisms are used to a certain range of temperature in the water-body where they live, and a sudden marked change in this temperature would be dangerous for them or affect their breeding. The eggs and larvae of various animals are particularly susceptible to temperature changes.