Water Pollution

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rings, fishing lines, and net that humans discard into the ocean waters. Once entangled, they are unable to free themselves which can cause deep cuts, starvation, and drowning. Many ocean mammals have died as a result of ingesting these plastic items. In 1985, a sperm whale beached itself on a New Jersey shore; a mylar balloon was lodged in its stomach, and three feet of ribbon in its intestines. Most plastics take hundreds of years to break down. Many of the discarded items will sink to the ocean floor where they will combine with sediments, thus prolonging their duration in the sea.
Other point sources of pollution include oil spills, and sewage treatment facilities. Whether intentional or accidental, the contamination of the ocean by these sources can be detrimental to ocean life. In June, 1979, a blowout of the Ixtoc oil well caused 600,000 tons of oil to be spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. Another 600,000 tons were spilled into the Persian Gulf in 1983 due to the blowout ...

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is because the oxygen is used to help bacteria and other organisms break down the waste. The lack of oxygen in the water prevents other marine organisms from surviving.

NONPOINT SOURCES OF POLLUTION
Nonpoint source contaminants cannot be traced to any on source, making it much more difficult to control. Airborne toxins account for one third of the pollutants that enter waterways and oceans each year.4 Acid rain is one such toxin. If a large amount of acid rain falls in a particular area, it can cause the pH of the surface water to become more acidic. The emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, has led to ...

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