Water Wheel Sept/Oct 2020: Water Pollution

Abstract

What does water pollution cost? Towards a holistic understanding Freshwater systems are one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. In almost every populated catchment on the planet, humans have to a greater or lesser degree increased the discharge of pollution, altered flow regimes, degraded catchments and/or modified the morphology of rivers (Vörösmarty et al., 2010). Surface water quality (WQ) deterioration has become a serious concern worldwide primarily due to increased pollution. It is estimated that, globally, over 80% of urban and industrial wastewater is released to freshwater systems without adequate treatment (IPBES 2019). The increasing pressure on freshwater ecosystems is threatening the use of water resources for human needs and has resulted in a loss of biodiversity and ecological functioning of these systems. At the time of writing, Vörösmarty et al., (2010) estimated that 65% of global river discharge, and the aquatic habitats supported by river flows, were classified as moderately to highly threatened. Effects of water pollution can be varied and widespread.

Categories