Dead fish in Hangzhou pond

Studies have showed that the quality of coastal waters are deteriorating quickly as a result of land-based pollution. The study found that 8.3 billion tons of sewage was released in Guangdong Province's coastal waters in 2006, 60 percent more than five years earlier. Altogether 12.6 million tons of polluted “material was dumped in waters off the southern province.

Disruption of food-chains/.Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals. Later, these animals are consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain continues to

be disrupted at all higher levels.

WATER BORNE DISEASES

Water borne diseases spread by contamination of drinking water systems with the urine and faeces of infected animal or people.Waterborne disease in both epidemic and endemic forms continues to occur in both developed and less developed countries. Waterborne diseases are dominated by pathogens which are transmitted by the faecal droplet inhalation (e.g. adenoviruses). 

Today, 37.7 million Indians are affected by waterborne diseases annually, 1.5 million children are estimated to die of diarrhoea alone. Until the 10th Five Year Plan,  Neither the State itself, nor in partnership with private players has made it a priority to deliver safe drinking water to the country’s 700 million rural population.

Endemic: a disease that exists permanently in a particular region or population. Malaria is a constant worry in parts of Africa . Epidemic: Anoutbreak of disease that attacks many peoples at about the same time and may spread through one or several communities. Pandemic: When an epidemic spreads throughout the world.

Destruction of ecosystemsEcosystems (the interaction of living things in a place, depending on each other for life) can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. Many areas are now being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming back to hurt humans in many ways.