Summary

In this study session, you have learned that:

1. Water pollution is any contamination of water with substances that are detrimental to human, plant or animal health.
2. Water pollutants can be of point or non-point source depending on whether substances are discharged directly into a body of water or indirectly from diffuse sources.
3. There are various types of water pollution including organic and inorganic sediments, nutrients, biological and chemical pollutants.
4. Biological pollutants include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths. They enter the water from human faeces from infected people and are the cause of many water-related diseases.
5. The effects of water pollution on an aquatic ecosystem depend on the type of pollutant and the type of water body.
6. Ideally pollution control should take place at the point of origin, i.e. pollution should be prevented at source.
7. There are specified procedures to follow when taking a water sample for analysis to ensure the sample is representative.