What Are the Problems With Waste Water Dumping?

Waste water dumping is harmful because the wastes we emit from the household products we use, as well as that from our bodies, work their way into our food chain. According to the Youthcanworld web page, when such toxins invade our water, they will dissolve into the water, come to rest on the bed of the water body, or begin to seep downward. In turn, that pollution works its way into our oceans and rivers.

Eutrophication

• When sewage contaminates water, it causes what Youthcanworld calls eutrophication. The Web page defines this process as the increase in concentration of the elements necessary for life. The chemicals that are naturally a part of human waste will serve as food for algae and other harmful organisms. These life forms will overpopulate and hoard the oxygen supply. This upsets the natural ecological balance, because creatures that call the water home will begin to die.

Food Poisoning

• The dumping of waste water into our water supply also affects humans too. When we eat sea food that the wastes in the water has contaminated, those toxins make their way into our bodies, as the Thinkquest website suggests. The results can be harmful. Giardiasis, dysentery and cholera are among the diseases Youthcanworld cites as the result of contact with water that has come into contact with human waste. Moreover, the site also says that detergent-laced water can cause liver and kidney damage.

Swimmer Hazards

• When people swim in corrupted water, they face the possibility of a variety of ailments. As Thinkquest points out, by swimming in such water, water enthusiasts may expose themselves to sicknesses such as hepatitis and HIV. Swimming in contaminated water can cause a variety of bacteria to seep through the skin, the ears and the nose.

Economic Consequences

• The economic costs can also take a toll. Its effects on tourism can be profound as people will not come to the beach in order to swim, due to orders by the government not to swim for health reasons. In addition, the seafood industry will take a hit because the presence of toxins in shellfish will cause commercial shellfish beds to close.