Water and water pollution
More substances dissolve in water like no other liquid. That is why water is a universal solvent. Since it has this property, all the waste products, plastics, oil and chemicals end up in the river or nullah that eventually flows into the sea. We will now learn how to curb water pollution in small ways.
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Cut down or reuse plastics.
We use too many plastics every day. Juice or water comes in a PET bottle, and these also find their way to the sea. PET bottles float and accumulate on the surface of the water. This is how contamination starts. A lot of living beings like cows, fishes and crows ingest plastics and suffer from it. Store these plastics next time you buy something and reuse stuff like polythene bags or bigger polythene bags.
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Do not drain oil into the sink.
Oil is also one of the biggest pollutants in the sea. Oil floats on the surface of the sea and contaminates it. It is better to put any cooking oil or greasy stuff in a bottle and give it away to a garbage collector. When the life of any species in water is threatened, it breaks the food chain of the ecosystem and makes it difficult for every species in the food chain.
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Avoid disposing of chemicals and pesticides in the drain.
Harmful chemicals like herbicides and pesticides are harmful and will destroy many living beings. Even if you dispose of it on your lawn or somewhere, it is very likely that it will find its way to the drainage system. These chemicals should be kept away safe or bottled so that it doesn’t come in contact with land or water.
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Use natural ways to de-clog drains.
A lot of chemicals like hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide available in the market for unclogging drains are harmful. It is better to try natural ways like letting boiling water, baking soda and vinegar of equal amounts stay in the clog for some time and then washing it down after 30 minutes.
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Use the dishwasher or washing machine when the machine is almost full.
These machines use up a lot of water from mixing, washing, rinsing and then repeating these processes. Using these machines uses up energy, chemicals and water. So, if you use it at full load, you are bound to use it less. That way, the solution of detergent and water released would be minimised and would not pollute water to a lesser degree.
