The Introduction
1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are discharged into US waters annually. The US EPA has warned that sewage levels in rivers could be back to the super-polluted levels of the 1970s by the year 2016.Water pollution is caused by many sources that are involved in our everyday lives. These sources come from many different places and can be broken into three groups: agricultural waste, domestic waste, and industrial waste. The pollutants in each group help with the classification. Agricultural waste is classified into natural and non-natural sources, while industrial waste is classified into the specific types of pollutants. The three groups are caused mostly by the everyday activities of humans. They have many negative effects on the environment and human health. However, some are trying to restore the earth’s original health by simple measures such as buying items in bulk. By understanding the classifications of water pollution, agricultural, domestic, and industrial waste, the waters can return to a sustainable health, which will benefit future generations of all organisms.

The Classifications
Agricultural wastes consist of two different types: natural (organic) wastes and non-natural wastes. Organic wastes, such as animal wastes or dead plants, are usually not harmful to the environment; on the contrary, they can enrich the soil with nutrients and minerals. Non-natural wastes include packaging or non-packaging plastics, agrochemicals (pesticides, etc.), and animal health products. These are the main pollutants that truly create problems.
Several types of domestic waste include ignitable, corrosive, poison, cleaning solutions, and automotive wastes. Ignitable pollutants are items such as adhesives and glues that are frequently used, but when glued trash is disposed of improperly, it can end up in a lake or river. Corrosive pollutants are cleaning items like toilet bowl cleaners in which the harsh chemicals are great for tidying the bathroom, but fatal to our waterways. Poison pollutants include ant and roach killers; after one sprays these chemicals out on a deck or patio, the rain will drain these poisons into the water at one point or another. Cleaning solutions, like oven cleaners, can be toxic, acidic, and decrease growth in underwater ecosystems. Automotive wastes such as brake fluid can leak onto the roads and run directly into drain polluting their purity.
Industrial waste is one of the more lethal types of water pollution sources that consist of toxic (heavy metals), ignitable (oxidizers), corrosive (alkaline degreasers), and reactive pollutants (cyanide wastes). These contaminants don’t get as much publicity when it comes to their affect on waters, but they have some of the most deadly effects.

The Methods of Detection
Agricultural Waste
One type of pollution concerning agricultural waste is directly affected by fertilizers and pesticides from farms that contain nitrogen. When it rains, the fertilizer runs off into rivers and lakes, filling it with nitrogen. This causes a thriving algae population growth because algae lives off of the nutrients the fertilizers provide. Once all of the food is gone, the algae die and sink to the bottom using all of the oxygen in the water. Because the water is depleted of nutrients and oxygen, live is not sustainable making it a dead zone. This process is called eutrophication, a deadly process that can deplete the water of essential items and cause the ecosystem to be off balance. When this process occurs, it will kill fish, among other species, causing their population to decrease. This “dead zone” is forever unsustainable unless proactive measures are taken. A method of detecting eutrophication is the Chemiluminescent Method. Using machines like the one to the left, scientists can detect the amount of dissolved nitrogen in the water, which is very helpful in identifying the health of an ecosystem. This gives a very accurate picture if eutrophication is happening, because eutrophication is dependant of nitrogen.

Domestic Waste
Domestic waste is one of the most publicly broadcasted pollution sources, and much knowledge is known about the sources. Causes of domestic waste include land clearing, road and building construction, fertilizer application, road salt application, natural vegetation destruction, wetland and riparian area destruction, septic tank use, and pet wastes. It is not hard to identify which daily activities help pollute waters. These daily activities increase toxic chemicals in the environment, water temperature, pathogens, likeliness of human disease outbreak, swimming beach closures, and decline in species health. In order to detect when this pollution is occurring, scientists use short-term respirometry. A short-term batch respirometric test coupled with ultraviolet (UV) photometry was developed to detect the presence in wastewater of toxic substances such as heavy metals, cleaning and sanitizing agents, and textile dyes. Tests have been carried out on a wastewater plant having various toxic substances. This was performed in order to determine the usefulness of this method for detecting toxic events. Short-term respirometry gives an estimation of the immediate biological activity, which is influenced by all of the pollutants and contaminants in the waters. To separate both effects, scientists combined short-term respirometry with a rapid estimation of pollution by UV-spectrophotometry.

Industrial Waste
Industrial waste is probably the most toxic type of waste there is. Its causes are made by careless decisions and an economic mind instead of an ecological mind. Many industrial facilities use freshwater to carry away the plant’s waste into rivers, lakes, and oceans. The industrial processes use chemicals that are often very dangerous forms of waste. Most industries have displayed an unwillingness to find ways to deal with this hazardous waste because of the expenses needed to carry out the process. Even worse, many industries and governments create crude landfills to store waste, and usually just dump these waste chemicals into nearby bodies of water. These acts can effect the environment in unimaginable ways. Many dangerous chemicals are now floating in the water killing the marine life and polluting our vital sources of water. This waste causes illnesses like asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, intestinal cancer and liver cancer. It is harmful to the health of many animals, including humans, as it can slow down the action of bodily enzymes. Industrial waste is so complex that it is hard to clean up once the environment is contaminated. It can cause illness through mercury poisoning, or cause eutrophication, which is very problematic to marine environments. All the oil from the industrious waste doesn’t dissolve in water; it forms a thick layer on the water surface preventing the marine plants from receiving the light needed for photosynthesis. Industrial waste can be detected using green chemistry; it’s a chemical analysis that is quick and doesn’t produce any chemical waste in the process. It used by aiming a laser beam at the material sample that is being tested. This causes a tiny amount of it to be vaporized so that optical and mass analysis techniques and unique computer software can analyze the sample in seconds. This will help identify the amount of lead or other chemicals that are poisoning the marine environment the sample is from.

The Repercussions
Agricultural waste, if not properly managed, can have devastating effects of the environment and quality of water. Contaminants such as pesticides, nitrates, bacteria, herbicides, and phosphates can have shocking effects on groundwater that runs under agricultural areas. The increase in nitrogen in the water can increase the algal population therefore eliminating oxygen from the water and making it uninhabitable, and undrinkable.
Domestic wastes, when dumped into water sources, can be harmful to marine life. Not always fatal, but infection and disease can spread through the fish population and infect other animals higher up on the food chain. For example, when these infected fish are caught by humans and are consumed, it can result in birth defects and cancers in humans.
Industrial waste is being dumped into waterways and improperly contained, which is causing serious problems. This is causing leakage into groundwater and ground waters. Industrial pollution impacts the quality and quantity of our water sources. It is probable that the waste will enter the soil causing widespread environmental problems.The nature of the global environment is having an affect on industrial pollution. It is limited to industrial nations. It is now limited to industrial nations. Ice cores from Antarctica and the Artic display high levels of industrial pollutants. Illustrating the immense distances that pollutants can travel, and traces of industrial pollutants have been identified in isolated human, animal, and plant populations as well.

The Pro-active Measures
Many things are being done to mend or prevent the current health condition of agricultural waste. Some include rotational grazing and pasture renovation. Rotational grazing is the process of moving livestock to a fresh pasture to allow the previously grazed pastures to grow back. Pasture renovation has various practices such as inter-seeding legumes, fertilizing, liming, controlling weeds, and the improvement of grazing management. These efforts strive to improve the sustainability of pastures and renew the land. Riparian buffers, strips of land bordering bodies of water to improve water quality, and other structures should be used to prevent waste contamination of water.
There are many ways to prevent domestic waste that can be done in one’s household, such as choosing small containers instead of large ones when purchasing food. Also, buying food in bulk will reduce the amount of plastic or containers that will go back into the environment. Recycling, without the bottle caps on, can help use plastics in a different way, instead of putting them in a landfill where they can never break down. Returning containers to the industry, such as glass bottles, and taking advantage of refills that are available, such as with shampoo, can greatly reduce the amount of domestic waste.
To reduce the amount of industrial waste produced, many precautions can be taken. Properly disposing of and storing of toxic contaminants such as heavy metals, alkaline degreasers, and oxidizers, can reduce the amount foolishly disposed of into the waterways. Also, using non-toxic cleaning materials and finding alternative items that aren’t so harmful. Although proactive measure may be more expensive, it would benefit the environment and possibly save the company in years to come.

The Health Risks
Pollution in our water has many extremely hazardous health risks. One factor that contributes greatly to water pollution is agricultural waste. For example, farms that raise cattle, swine, and poultry feed these animals special foods that are rich in heavy metals, such as copper and zinc. They are essential nutrients for animal growth. These metals are released in manure, which is later used as a fertilizer. Through rainwater or erosion, the metals will eventually enter the water as runoff. Being exposed to this water can have many negative effects. Some health risks include kidney problems, nervous system dysfunctions, headaches, and cardiovascular system problems. Also, pesticides are commonly used in agriculture. They are full of carcinogens, which cause cancer. Domestic waste is also a major polluter of water. Many household products and wastes can get into our waters due to carelessness or illegal garbage dumping. These are known to cause cancer, organ failure, tooth decay, skin irritation, infections, and birth defects. Many countries have problems with their water being polluted with human feces. Drinking this contaminated water cause illnesses such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. These illnesses lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Countries such as China, which are rapidly industrializing, have extremely polluted water. Industrial waste in water has many horrific health risks. The water pollution can be caused from industrial waste being dumped into waterways or improper storage of the waste, which leads to leaks the run into groundwater or waterways. Chemicals such as PCBs, radon, ammonia, chromium, cause long-term effects such birth defects and short-term effects such as sicknesses. Mercury can lead to nervous disorders. However, the most evident effect of being exposed to this water is cancer. Also, sulfur dioxide, released from burning fossil fuels, can cause acid precipitation, which runs into waterways. This water can cause heart and lung disorders, such as asthma and emphysema. The health risks caused by water pollution are extremely important and demand immediate attention.

The Preventative Measures
Water pollution has become such a major catastrophe that environmental organizations have been researching ways to help eliminate this problem and many people, who are becoming aware of this issue, are developing preventive measures to help control the pollution. To deal with agricultural pollution, some people are supporting small farmers rather than large, industrious farms. These small farms pay more attention to how they affect the local waterways. They use waste and fertilizers in field at responsible amount, minimizing their effect on the waterways. To help with the problem of toxic pesticides entering waterways through runoff, some companies, such as Fertrell, are creating pesticides that are less harmful. Fertrell, for example, has created a line of completely organic pesticides.

To deal with domestic waste water pollution, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on the Clean Water Act which is regulating pollution in drinking water. Of course, there are preventive measures that we all usually participate in. This includes habits like throwing garbage in a can rather than on the ground when you’re at the beach and not dumping our household trash into lakes or rivers. Also, people must dispose of potentially harmful substances, such as batteries and cleaning chemical, in the proper manner.

There is not much the average person can do to prevent industrial water pollution. It is in the hands of the factories to figure out alternative ways to produce products that have a reduced impact on the environment. The US government also regulates the amount of waste that a factory emits. Many more people all over the world need to start to take action to help prevent water pollution.
The Environmental, Cultural, and Socioeconomic Factors
Contaminated water is directly affecting many societies by the environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic factors around them. On California beaches, workers use specialized nets made to clean up oil from tanker spills, these spills are a huge problem due to the fact that it is almost impossible to remove the oil, and when it is done right it is time consuming and dangerous. Economic development is directly affected water; industrialized countries have bacterial contamination due to the waste that causes serious health problems in major cities. Europe and North America have begun building sewer networks to direct domestic waste away from water sources, but rapid growth has outpaced the ability of these positive actions. Ever since the chemical age has dawned, these industrial and agricultural chemicals heavily impacted water quality. Eutrophication, nitrification, and acidification have been affecting world water sources for years. In newly industrialized countries, like China, India, Thailand, and Brazil, where they otherwise wouldn’t have been affected, are facing all of these issues concurrently. In America, leisurely activities have become more and more directed towards water (fishing, boating, swimming). Not only are theses activities dumping more wastes into the water, like gasoline, trash, and chemicals, but humans are affected by these activities too. Someone who lives by a beach and swims in the water regularly has a higher chance of getting affected by the chemicals in the water. Water in religion is essential to be clean. Hindus believe all water is sacred, especially in rivers, while Christians need clean water for baptismal and communal practices. Religious groups believe and try to convey that keeping water clean is in our best interest to be spiritually moral.

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