The Deathly Cost of Freshwater Pollution
Pollution is a growing problem in various aspects, whether its air pollution, littering in the streets, and one that is alarmingly rising, water pollution. Water is what makes this planet so unique amongst the others in our solar system and if it is not treated right, then that could lead to many issues. Water, specifically freshwater, is a vital resource to all forms of life and we simply cannot live without it.
Water pollution is when potential deadly substances like chemicals or even plastic contaminates a stream, river, lake, or any kind of body of water making it unfit for humans and the environment. As a resident in Michigan, home of the Great Lakes, this is a topic that hits close to home as we depend greatly on those large bodies of freshwater. With summertime quickly approaching, Michiganders flock to the lakes for leisure activities like boating and spending time on the beach, but what if one day that was taken away from us? That is the very real threat that pollution poses to the Great Lakes.
While pollution in the ocean is equally as bad, it is a different kind of pollution when comparing it to freshwater, specifically the Great Lakes. One major difference is that unlike pollution in the ocean, there just is not as much information on pollution in the Great Lakes. There has just simply been more research done on ocean pollution, but thankfully that is starting to change with the Great Lakes.
A big pollution factor that is plaguing the Great Lakes is plastic. According to Science Daily, each year 22 million tons of plastic is dumped into Lake Michigan every year. To put that in perspective, that is roughly 100 Olympic sized swimming pools filled with plastic water bottles that is put into the lake. That is truly mind boggling when you think about it.
Plastic is very different kind of pollutant when compared to toxins and waste. According to Alliance for the Great Lakes, plastic never truly goes away. It just keeps breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces and while you cannot always see it with the naked eye, it is still there. And since it is so tiny, they can make their way into our drinking water since it is plausible that it can make it’s way past water treatment facilities, and research shows that bottled water brands are more likely to contain plastic than tap water which is very disturbing to think about. Another thing that works against plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is that the water travels differently than ocean water. The plastic does not tend to wash up on shore like it does when moving through the ocean, this means that the plastic in the lakes travels through rivers and watersheds and eventually makes its way into the ocean, contributing to the larger global pollution. Another factor to add to this is that since the ocean is all saltwater, it is more dense than freshwater. This makes it harder for plastic to break down in the lakes.
When it comes to comparing pollution levels of the Great Lakes, it’s interesting to see the results. According to Canadian Geographic, there are a number of different stressors that contribute to pollution in the lakes. These stressors vary from plastic, to toxins, to zebra and quagga mussels, and high phosphorus levels. When looking at it like this, Lake Ontario is the most polluted with the highest percentage of stressors, ranging from 87.5–100%. Followed by Lake Erie with a stress index ranging from 62.5–87.5%. Then we have Lake Michigan with 50–87.5% stress index level. Lake Huron has an index spanning from 25–87.5%, with most of the pollutants being on the lakeshore. And lastly, Lake Superior is the least polluted with a stress index leveling comprised of 0–87.5%, with only a few small areas of high stress index on the shores.
Now you might be wondering, why is this so important? Well, to put it simply is to say that it is starting to jeopardize our health on a large scale level. As mentioned earlier, we need freshwater to survive, it is as simple as that. According to NRDC, unsafe water kills more people every year than all forms of violence combined. And while most Americans think that this does not apply to them… they would be wrong. Harmful contaminants have been found in the tap water from every state in the US. By 2050 the demand for freshwater will be one-third greater than it is now and without action we might find ourselves in a very troubling situation.
How do we stop this from getting worse? There are several ways that we can implement to stopping water pollution. A major one which should be common sense is to recycle your plastics and not litter! Recycling plastic is an easy and effective way to make sure your plastic water bottles do not end up in the water. The same goes for trash, by just simply throwing your waste away in a trash can you are helping cut down on pollution in a major way. Just because it disappears, does not mean that it goes away. According to the Town of Simsbury Connecticut, it is important to not dispose of household chemicals or cleaning agents down the sink or toilet, this increases the chances of making it into a freshwater supply.
Overall, you should not use your toilet as a wastebasket, this means no flushing of tissues, wrappers, pills, and any other kind of paper goods. Not pouring grease or fat from foods down the sink is also another great way to cut back on pollution, there are deadly chemicals in both that could lead to potential harm. Cutting back on the amount of bleach and detergent when doing laundry helps as well.
All in all, we need to start treating this planet with respect or we might not have a planet at all to respect in the years to come. Water is a crucial resource for many parts of our lives and if we keep abusing it, there might not be any water for us to live off of for the generations to come.
