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Illustration of Water Pollution

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Illustration of Water Pollution
An Illustration of Water Pollution

October 23rd, 2012

“Recently published data show that world-wide 2.4 billion people do not have access to improved sanitation.”(Cited in, “The Existing Urban Environmental Sanitation System in Hanoi and Problems Related”). The access to clean water is rapidly decreasing, and it is a global concern. Water pollution refers to the contamination of water sources from substances that are harmful to the environment and ecosystems. The issue of water pollution is commonly known everywhere, but those who are not directly affected by it tend to lack a deeper understanding of its negative impact on life. Water pollution is demonstrated in this essay by providing examples of water contamination in Hanoi, Japan, the Gulf of Mexico, India, and U.S.A.
According to researches, water sources in Hanoi have been badly polluted since the time of its urbanization. A daily estimation of the total amount of industrial wastewater that is discharged was 263,000m3. Less than 10% was properly treated before being returned to the original water source. In 2005, the total amount of solid waste was about 900,000 tons, but only 80% of the waste is properly disposed to the water sources. Approximately 10% of the nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which were in the water, was treated and returned back to the environment. ("The Existing Urban Environmental Sanitation System in Hanoi and Problems Related", n.d.) In the North Central Regions of the Mekong River Delta, the amount of available water is limited, whereas in other places it is abundant. ("The State of Water Environment: Vietnam", n.d.) Though the amount of groundwater is plentiful, only 5% or less of the water is not contaminated. The groundwater quality has not reached its standards. In South of Hanoi, amount of ammonia in treated water was 2-8 times the amount for usual levels. ("The State of Water Environment: Vietnam", n.d.)
In 2011, Japanese nuclear plants have leaked radioactive



References: NN Wire Staff (2011, December 5). Contaminated water found leaking at Japanese nuclear plant - CNN. Featured Articles from CNN. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-12-05/asia/world_asia_japan-radioactive-water-leak_1_japanese-nuclear-plant-japan-s-fukushima-daiichi-daiichi-plant?_s=PM:ASIADuhigg, C. (2009, December 7). Millions in U.S. Drink Contaminated Water, Records Show - Series - NYTimes.com. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/energy-environment/08water.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0Luntz, T. (n.d.). U.S. Drinking Water Widely Contaminated: Scientific American. Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=tap-drinking-water-contaminants-pollutantsPepper, D. (2007, June 4). Delhi 's Yamuna River: India 's river of sorrow - June 11, 2007. CNNMoney - Business, financial and personal finance news. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/06/11/100083453/index.htmRepanich, J. (2010, August 10). BP Oil Spill Statistics - Deepwater Horizon Gulf Spill Numbers - Popular Mechanics. Popular Mechanics - Automotive Care, Home Improvement, Tools, DIY Tips. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/bp-oil-spill-statisticsRichard, M. G. (2010, May 5). BP Gulf Oil Spill Cheat Sheet: A Timeline of Unfortunate Events : TreeHugger. TreeHugger. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/bp-gulf-oil-spill-cheat-sheet-a-timeline-of-unfortunate-events.htmlShiya Retrieved October 15, 2012, from http://www.preservearticles.com/201106157999/river-water-pollution-in-india.htmlStatistics: Graphs & Maps- Drinking Water and Sanitation. (n.d.). Retrieved from UN Water: http://www.unwater.org/statistics_san.htmlThe Existing Urban Environmental Sanitation System in Hanoi and Problems Related. (n.d.). WEPA - Water Environment Partnership in Asia. Retrieved October 15, 2012, from http://www.wepa-db.net/pdf/0703forum/paper26.pdfThe Guardian (2011, December 8). Fukushima Daiichi operator considers plans to dump treated water into sea | World news | The Guardian. Latest US news, world news, sport and comment from the Guardian | guardiannews.com | The Guardian. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/08/fukushima-operator-treated-water-seaThe State of Water Environment : Vietnam. (n.d.). WEPA - Water Environment Partnership in Asia. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www.wepa-db.net/policies/state/vietnam/groundwater.htmWilliams, M. (2011, April 3). Japan Nuclear Plant Releases Contaminated Water Into Ocean. VOA - Voice of America English News - VOA News. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www.voanews.com/content/japan-nuclear-plant-to-release-contaminated-water-into-ocean-119169659/137447.html |

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