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ON WATER ECOSYSTEM
UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, LAGOS. NIGERIA
(MIC 806)
IMPACTS OF EFFLUENT DISCHARGE ON WATER ECOSYSTEM
Water covers 71% of the earth’s surface and makes up 65% of our bodies. All organisms
contain it; some live in it; some drink it. Plants and animals require water that is
moderately pure, and they cannot survive if their water is loaded with toxic chemicals or
harmful microorganisms (Encarta Encyclopedia, 2009).If water becomes polluted it loses
its values to us economically and aesthetically, and can become a threat to our health, to
the survival of aquatic organisms living in it and the wildlife that depends on it.
Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested that it is
one of the worldwide causes of death of more than 14,000 people daily. In addition to
the acute problems of water pollution in developing, industrialized
countries continue to struggle with pollution problems as well. In the
most recent national report on water quality in the United States, 45
percent of assessed stream miles, 47 percent of assessed lake acres,
and 32 percent of assessed bay and estuarine square miles were
classified as polluted (EPA report, 2002).
Effluent discharge from different sources is the major cause of water
pollution. Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired
by anthropogenic contaminants and either does not support a human
use, like serving as drinking water, or undergoes a marked shift in its
ability to support its constituent biotic communities, such as fish.
Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae blooms, storms,
and earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and the
ecological status of water. Water pollution has many causes and
characteristics. Water pollution has many causes and characteristics all
of which has direct impact on the water ecosystem.
CLASSIFICATION OF WATER POLLUTION
1. Point Source Pollution
Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway
through a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch.