Groundwater Pollution

Groundwater pollution is brought on when acid rain, boats, factories, a septic system, and other manmade products such as gasoline seep into the soil. The soil then becomes unfit for us humans to use it. Pesticides, as well as fertilizers, can get into the soil eventually. It is amazing humans can grow crops in this environment. (Groundwater Contamination). Contaminated groundwater can cause hepatitis or dysentery. Other sources of contamination include storage tanks that release gasoline, oil, chemicals, or other sorts of liquids. Some have estimated there are ten million storage tanks in the United States.

The only solution to the problem is to go to the source, while actually doing something about the waste stored in the tank. Septic systems take away human waste, not chemical waste into the ground, and this sort of waste disposal can leak harmful bacteria, viruses, and even household chemicals. Apparently, there are 20,000 hazardous waste sites in the United States.

Landfills are also a damaging way to poison groundwater since while there is no protected layer, the poisonous substances seep into groundwater. In the source, “Environmental Protection: What Everyone Needs to Know”, it is stated that groundwater is water found below the earth, underneath the soil, and as it is “freshwater that collects in the soils, sands, and rocks underground, sometimes at great depths such as desert groundwater hundreds of feet below the surface, and sometimes close to the surface” (45). This goes to show how easily groundwater is contaminated by anything. Groundwater is very sensitive anyway and yet we humans are not cleaning up our environment right now.

Tap water often should be filtered in order to drink it at all since tap water comes from groundwater. Other problems with groundwater contamination include the way intestinal parasites can infect groundwater, causing the people in the infected area to become ill. Mining can also cause contaminated groundwater because mining digs up elements while creating this situation. Also, acid rain can contaminate groundwater because it seeps into the soil quickly while the rain is falling. Climate change also affects water pollution as the water becomes warmer. Synthetic chemicals are the biggest cause of water pollution. The thing is that the elite does not want to tell us the truth about how bad the water pollution on this planet is. We are busy wearing down our environment. If real solutions are to be found, we have to take a hard look at ourselves.

Pollution causes a chemically induced harm to the body because we are not told just how bad pollution actually is. If people knew more, they’d be breaking down the elite’s door, asking for solutions such as how microorganisms can be used to make organic substances biodegradable. Other ways to protect groundwater include using native plants, which reduce the need for excessive watering. In order to reduce chemical use, you can’t just dump them on the ground. Pharmaceuticals need to be taken to a waste management center, not dumped down the toilet. Fixing leaks right away is another choice humans can make to protect groundwater. Watering plants when truly necessary is also another way that we humans can make sure to not contaminate groundwater. Natural cleaners such as lemon juice, baking soda, or vinegar can also be used. There are solutions to many of our planet’s environmental disasters, we just have to think about it because not every person takes on the ideas they have to find a solution to the problem of groundwater contamination.

Works Cited

http://all-about-water-filters.com/what-is-groundwater-pollution-definition/

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-groundwater-depletion.php

http://www.groundwater.org/get-informed/groundwater/contamination.html

http://www.groundwater.org/action/home/top10.html

Hill, Pamela. Environmental Protection: What Everybody Needs to Know. Oxford Press, 2017.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater_remediation