Contaminación Del Agua

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Water pollution

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies
(e.g. lakes, rivers,oceans, aquifers and groundwater). Water pollutionoccurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodiesof water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities.-------------------------------------------------
Causes
The source of water pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway from a single, identifiable source, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category includedischarges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain
The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical changes suchas elevated temperature. the concentration of this chemicals (calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc.) is often the key in determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant.High concentrations of naturally occurring substances can have negative impacts on aquatic flora and fauna.
Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases ineither human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry includes acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature.

Chemicals and other contaminants
Contaminants mayinclude organic and inorganic substances.
Organic water pollutants include:
* Detergents
* Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected drinking water,
* Foodprocessing waste, which can include oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease
* Insecticides and herbicides, a huge range of organohalides and other chemical compounds
* Petroleum hydrocarbons,...