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
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