Water Pollution Effects On Aquatic Life

Literature Review There are endless ways the environment is being affected globally. There are drastic changes occurring all over the world, from deforestation to excessive water pollution. One urgent issue facing the world today is freshwater pollution and the negative effects it is having on freshwater aquatic life. Pollution is creating a positive feedback loop in our freshwater aquatic life, including the killings of many of freshwater wildlife. Through the analysis of several different articles and books, this review will look over how eutrophication, acid rain, and heavy metal pollution effects freshwater aquatic life. Eutrophication is a process in which there are extra fertilizers, and other types of materials which runs off into …show more content…
There have been more than enough scientific evidence proving this problem is prevalent today. Eutrophication, the process in which excess fertilizers and other materials runoff into lakes and ponds, creating algal blooms, which sucks up the oxygen, killing fish and other organisms which is crucial to the freshwater environment. Acid rain is a type of pollutant which has impacted the southern Appalachian Mountains. Acid rain is a level four on the pH level which measures the amount of hydrogen in a substance. This pollutant falls into our freshwater ecosystems, and kills many of the living organisms due to the high acidity in the water. Heavy metals are extremely dangerous and causes a multitude of problems for our freshwater. Lead, Arsenic, and Nickel, are a few of many types of heavy metals which can cause mutagenic changes, and death in the freshwater organisms. All these types of pollution are an increasing problem in our freshwater ecosystems that are hurting our freshwater wildlife. The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to decrease pollution, and the type of hurtful, toxic, and dangerous materials are that going into our