Environmental Issues essay
The problem of the water pollution is one of the major challenges for people in both developed and developing countries. However, if the water pollution in developed countries is mainly the result of the pollution of groundwater by chemicals used in the industrial production of developed countries, then the water pollution in developing countries is the result of the use of pesticides, other chemicals and the general mistreatment of water resources in the course of agricultural activities. However, in spite of the cause of the water pollution, its negative impact on human health is obvious since water pollution can trigger the emergence of water-borne diseases, such as typhoid, cholera, infectious hepatitis, amoebic dysentery and others.
The problem of the persistence of water-borne diseases is the result of the water pollution, which occurs under the impact of several factors, among which human activities play the main part. Human activities are major factors contributing to the water pollution and causing water-borne diseases (Mortsch, 2003). On the one hand, well-developed countries face the problem of the pollution of ground water by chemicals. The industrial production often leads to the pollution of ground waters by chemicals, which penetrate groundwater. The improper storage or transportation of hazardous materials can also contribute to the water pollution and trigger the development of serious health problems in the population using contaminated groundwater.
The development of agriculture also contributes to the water pollution. In this respect, it is worth mentioning such factors as the use of pesticides and other chemicals in farming which may be and often are absorbed by the soil and penetrate groundwater. The contamination of the groundwater by chemicals used in farming is dangerous for human health and can lead to the consistent deterioration of the public health in local communities (Rabinovici, 2004). In addition, agriculture tends to misuse water and prevent the penetration of dangerous elements into groundwater. For example, wastes of cattle farming need to be processed and stored properly. Otherwise, there is a risk of the water contamination. Similarly, if cattle or poultry die because of some illnesses, remnants of cattle and poultry should be processed properly to prevent the contamination of groundwater. As a result, dangerous elements may penetrate groundwater triggering the spread of an infectious disease in the local area.
The impact of the water pollution of health of people can hardly be underestimated. In this regard, it is possible to distinguish short-run negative effects of the water pollution on health of people, such as the spread of infectious disease, and long-run negative effects associated with the long lasting impact of polluted water on human health that leads to the development of chronic disease and the overall deterioration of health and quality of living. In a short run, the contamination of groundwater with dangerous elements or the poor treatment of water may trigger the spread of infectious diseases in communities using contaminated, polluted water. In this regard, it is possible to distinguish bacterial infections, such as typhoid, cholera, paratyphoid fever, bacillary dysentery; viral infections, including infectious hepatitis, poliomyelitis; and protozoal infections, such as amoebic dysentery (Louis, 2003).
In a long run, the impact of polluted water on human health may be even more negative. For example, the lead-polluted water can trigger the development of serious health problems, such as cancer, and the overall contamination of human body by lead. The long lasting exposure of people to lead-contaminated water decreases life expectancy in local communities and causes consistent deterioration of the health of the local population. Other chemical and hazardous elements may have similar negative effects on human health (Benson, Kocagil, & Shortle 2000). As a result, the water pollution has a negative impact on human health and various factors mentioned above may lead to different negative effects on human health.
The negative impact of the water pollution has a destructive impact not only on the public health but also on the economy of regions affected by the water pollution. For example, many countries located in Africa and Asia with the limited access to the potable water face the problem of outbursts of infectious diseases, such as cholera or typhoid. They cannot cope with these problems because of the water pollution and the resolution of the problem of poor public health caused by infectious diseases starts with the resolution of the problem of the water pollution. At the same time, developed countries also face the problem of the deterioration of the public health because of the poor health conditions associated with the water pollution. In this regard, cases of gastroenterological problems in patients are still quite frequent even in developed countries, because of the water pollution.
Therefore, the resolution of health problems associated with the water pollution should start with the improvement of the quality of water and prevention of the water pollution. The prevention of the water pollution should start with the prevention of the penetration of hazardous materials into groundwater. Therefore, companies using and transporting hazardous materials and elements should ensure that those elements will never penetrate groundwater but, instead, they will be processed or recycled safely. At the same time, farmers should also use water resources wisely and prevent the contamination of waters by hazardous elements in the result of farming or using pesticides and other chemicals.
However, the fulfillment of the aforementioned program is possible only on the condition of the enhancement of the control over human activities, especially activities of companies using hazardous materials and farmers (Curriero, 2001). Government regulatory bodies should work hand in hand with non-government organizations, which can help government regulatory agencies to identify cases of the negligence or dangerous use of hazardous elements that lead to the water pollution. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the pubic control is particularly important because it is more effective than government control since public organizations are less bureaucratic and more flexible than government regulatory agencies. In addition, companies and farmers dealing with hazardous materials and contributing consciously or not to the water pollution should grow aware of risks they expose themselves and their community members through the water pollution. In this regard, educational programs and promotion of the water protection can help to increase the consciousness and responsibility of key stakeholders.
Thus, today, the problem of the water pollution is one of the main challenges that threaten not only to the environment but also to the public health. The water pollution can cause infectious diseases and serious, chronic health problems. The major factors contributing to the water pollution are human activities. Therefore, the stricter control over human activities and hazardous materials from the part of the government and public can resolve the problem of the water pollution and its negative impact on the public health.
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