pollution

How is pollution affecting the earth?

Water is a necessity of life. People and animals need clean drinking water. Farmers need water to irrigate crops. People enjoy using lakes and rivers for recreation. Unfortunately, this precious resource is easily contaminated by agricultural runoff, mining activities, waste treatment plants and improperly disposed-of industrial waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors 80 different contaminants that may affect drinking water. Microbial contaminants include bacteria and viruses. Most people can fight off the microbial contaminants.

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances or energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution.