Most people would be surprised to know that water pollution actually started long before the Industrial Revolution. In fact, it started when humans first began using fire for warmth and cooking. When wood was burned, the ashes and other pollutants were dumped into rivers and lakes.
This may not seem like a big deal, but over time, these pollutants built up and started to negatively impact the quality of the water.
As time went on and more people began to use fire for heat and cooking, the problem of water pollution only got worse. By the time the Industrial Revolution came around, there was already a significant amount of pollution in many waterways across the world.
The industrial revolution only made things worse, as factories began dumping their waste directly into rivers and lakes.
Water pollution has been a problem since the beginning of time. The first recorded instance of water pollution was in the year 1065, when the Normans polluted the River Seine with animal waste. In the centuries that followed, water pollution continued to be a problem as industrialization increased and more and more people began to live in close proximity to one another.
One of the biggest contributing factors to water pollution is sewage. When people live in close quarters, their sewage can easily contaminate nearby bodies of water. In addition, factories often discharge harmful chemicals and pollutants into waterways, further contaminating them.
Over time, we have become better at recognizing and addressing water pollution. However, it is still a major problem in many parts of the world. With increasing population growth and industrialization, it is only likely to become worse unless we take steps to prevent it.
How was Pollution Created?
Most pollution is caused by human activity, such as burning fossil fuels, manufacturing chemicals and using pesticides. Burning fossil fuels releases harmful emissions into the air, including carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. These emissions contribute to climate change, acid rain and poor air quality.
Manufacturing chemicals can release harmful pollutants into the air, water and soil. Pesticides can also pollute the environment if they are not used properly.
When was Water Pollution First Discovered?
Water pollution has been a problem since ancient times. The first record of water pollution comes from the Mesopotamian civilization, which flourished between 3000 and 1000 BCE. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the world’s earliest known literary works, the hero-king Gilgamesh rejects the advances of a goddess because he is disgusted by the polluted state of her temple’s sacred pool.
The industrial revolution, which began in the 18th century, brought with it new sources of water pollution. The burning of coal to power factories produced large amounts of soot and ash that were dumped into rivers and lakes. Waste from slaughterhouses and tanneries was also often disposed of in waterways.
As cities grew larger and more crowded, sewage became another major source of water pollution.
Despite these problems, it was not until the late 19th century that scientists began to study water pollution in earnest. In 1865, Robert Angus Smith published a landmark book called “On the Causes, Nature and Prevention of Nightsoil and Sewage Pollution of Rivers”.
This work helped raise awareness about water pollution and led to the passage of laws in England and Wales that prohibited dumping sewage into waterways.
Today, water pollution remains a serious global problem. According to the World Health Organization, over 2 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water; meanwhile, almost half of all wastewater generated each year is discharged untreated into our rivers, lakes and oceans.
What is Water Pollution
Water pollution is a type of environmental pollution that occurs when water is contaminated with chemicals, pathogens, or other pollutants. The contamination can occur from sources such as factories, agriculture, sewage treatment plants, and stormwater runoff. Water pollution can also come from natural sources such as oil spills and algae blooms.
There are many different types of water pollution, but some of the most common include:
Biological Pollution: This type of pollution occurs when pathogens contaminate water supplies. Pathogens can come from sewage treatment plants, animal waste, and human waste.
They can also come from stormwater runoff that picks up pathogenic bacteria from the ground.
Chemical Pollution: This type of pollution occurs when harmful chemicals contaminate water supplies. These chemicals can come from factories, agriculture, mining operations, and oil spills.
They can also come from household products such as cleaners and detergents.
Nutrient Pollution: This type of pollution occurs when too many nutrients enter waterways. Nutrients can come from agricultural runoff, sewage treatment plants, and stormwater runoff.
Too many nutrients in waterways can cause problems such as algal blooms and fish kills.
Conclusion
It is no secret that water pollution has become a major global problem. But how did it start? According to experts, water pollution began when humans started using water for transportation and disposal of waste.
As the population grew and technology developed, so did the amount of pollutants being dumped into our waterways. Today, water pollution is caused by a variety of factors including agricultural runoff, sewage discharge, urban stormwater runoff, and industrial effluent.
