Essay On Groundwater Contamination

841 Words4 Pages
conduits for contamination. Poorly constructed active wells can result in groundwater contamination. Poor casings, inadequate covers, or lack of concrete pads, may allow contaminated surface water into the well. Older wells are more prone to construction problems as they were constructed prior to established standards and regulations. Landfills also pose a threat to groundwater contamination. All our waste is taken to landfills to be buried. Unless there is a protective layer at the bottom of the landfill, there is nothing preventing contaminants from leaching into the groundwater. Contaminants such as car battery acid, paint, household cleaners etc. are all incredibly dangerous and can make their way into our drinking supply and cause serious harm. An increase in the use of chemicals is another potential source of groundwater contamination. Chemicals include products used in lawns and to kill weeds and insects and to fertilize plants. Also any chemicals used in homes such as cleaning products. During rainfall, these chemicals can seep down into the ground and eventually in to the groundwater. These chemicals can contain harmful toxins that can poison the water supply. Also road salts…show more content…
All the inert ingredients included in these products. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products are introduced to the environment as pollutants in various ways. These include: excretion by humans and domestic animals, bathing or swimming, discharge from municipal sewage systems or private septic tanks, leaching from landfills, runoff from confined animal feeding operations, discharge of raw sewage from storm overflow events etc. A study in the USA published in 2002 about PPCPs in water. It was discovered that in 139 streams in 30 states a total of 80% of the streams contained PPCPs. The potential human health risks associated with even a small amount PPCPs in drinking water is still being determined so little is being done about correct way of disposal of these
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