Adopt a Topic: Water Pollution   Phase: World

Hsu, S. (2014, May 28). China’s Water Pollution Mire. Retrieved August 24, 2015, from http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/chinas-water-pollution-mire/

 

China’s well-known problem regarding air pollution overshadows its dilemma involving water pollution. It is a large problem that is a big health hazard. Pollution in water has been known to cause gastrointestinal cancer as well as other types. In many of these cases, factories dumping chemicals and waste in the water are to blame. There are other problematic areas as well. “Dumping of industrial chemicals, agricultural waste, and urban wastewater has contaminated China’s water resources such that over half of all rivers in the country are unsafe for human contact” (Hsu). A large percentage of the nation’s water pollution comes from agricultural pollution. Fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste are dumped into bodies of water with little thought. Potable water is scarce in China due to its large population and lack of consideration regarding water pollution. China’s water situation is dire.

 

This shows what can happen when a large population treats the environment poorly. There is a lack of healthy drinking water in the most populated nation in the world, which affects environmental science. Farmers provide a large portion of the food for the Chinese people. They are rewarded for this. However, they have a very negative impact on China’s water. Poor farming techniques contribute to over 70% of the pollution in the water. The article shocked me because I was not aware of how much pollution can come from agricultural waste.