Introduction: Causal relationships of the Hydrosphere
Water is a fundamental resource that supports all forms of life. It’s role in sustaining healthy ecosystems allows for many species to to depend on it for survival. This introduction showcases the understanding of how water quality directly influences water quality, the impacts of change, and the causes said change. We can be oblivious to where the wastewater goes when we use it after showers, handwash, toiletry, and kitchen waste. The idea is usually sparked when we overcome the wall of hygiene concerning only our own bodies, and understand that the needs of the environment link to our own. That is when we can say wastewater is not a waste, until it’s wasted.
The Hydrosphere
Derived from the Greek word “hydro”, the hydrosphere is a nexus that has formed connections between both the water, and the land in which it resides on. To overlook the hydrosphere, and its importance can negatively impact the connections it has with the biosphere, and the atmosphere. Within the hydrosphere, processes such as: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation occur. The infinite loop experienced by this cycle is known as rain.
We normally imagine that rain can bring about great fortune by revitalizing dry areas. However, what we often overlook is the quality of water in this downpour. Mistakes like this are caused by air pollution: namely in the form of sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. These chemicals react with pure water, and produce diluted quantities of sulfuric acid, and carbonic acid. In their diluted forms, this mixed water has little to no effect on people. However, its long term effects have been clearly visible ever since the beginning of the industrial revolution.
The great advancements in the industrial revolution, and the subsequent evolution of technologies arising from it have been the cause of ‘acid rain’. A phenomenon known to corrode structures, and damage the biodiversity of the landscape it comes into contact with. High acidity renders the aquatic life in water bodies to death, because of the corrosive properties of sulfuric acid, and carbonic acid.
A solution can be to treat this water, and produce clean water, however we must address the elephant in the room. In the long term, only relying on water and wastewater treatment will not restore water bodies if the pollutants released by factories continues at its rate. The main objective of water treatment is to safely separate As seen in the pictures, sometimes the damages can be irreversible.
The Biosphere
Ecosystems maintain the delicate balance between life. Water is one of the essential components of maintenance, because it provides a habitat, a hydration source, and a source of nourishment for life. There have been ways where life found a way to overcome small or large water quantities, i.e; in the form of droughts or floods. However, changes in the quality of water always results in the water causing more harm to the environment it inhabits.
Eutrophication
This is a process caused by the excessive growth of algae on the surface of a water body. The excessive growth is a result of the accumulation of a large amount of nutrients/chemicals unevenly distributed in the water. When large amounts of fertilizer find its way to a lake or pond, the large amount of nutrients facilitate the growth of algae which cover the surface of the water.
When the algae reach its maximum lifespan, decomposition occurs. Decomposition consumes oxygen within the water body, causing aquatic life in that area to be under threat. The lack of sunlight – due to the surface being covered with algae also causes underwater vegetation to also decompose in the same process.
The discharge of sewage, and industrial waste leads to similar results being produced on the water body, as an effort of nature trying to treat this water body by itself. However, it comes at the expense of the inhabitants within the water body, causing biodiversity to decrease. In some cases, extinction, and endangerment of rare species that thrive on clean water can reach critical situations.
Biomagnification
This process relies on the understanding of how energy is passed on throughout the food web via consumption of another organism.
As illustrated in the image, the principle of a food web shows the different food chains experienced by each organism at that specific stage. When we insert industrial wastewater into this eco-system, the harmful constituents of this wastewater is often consumed by the creatures in stages 3, 4, and 5. Biomagnification involves the multiplication of harmful constituents as you move up the food web. An example would be how a fish in stage 5 who has consumed oil, also consume an organism in stage 4.
This causes the oil to accumulate in the fish. Once this fish makes its way to our plates, the oil accumulated can be visibly seen. This need not be oil, but can also be microplastics, which is especially toxic to humans. The fish seen in the photo has accumulated a large amount of plastic for its size. If it were directly consumed by a bear, or a bird, the accumulation of plastic would be more severe. The photo below illustrates a modified foodweb once industrial wastewater comes into contact with a water body.
Invasive Species Proliferation
As we have seen, ecosystems are very delicate, and prone to change the moment a new variable is introduced. This is the origin of the saying, “Change is nature”. This change occur due to one of two reasons:
- Purposeful Introduction of a new species.
- Unforeseen introduction of a new species.
Purposefully introducing new species happens when sailors first introduced rats from Europe into the Americas. This was extremely harmful to the local vegetation, and wildlife in the region, until pest control helped to adjust the populations. Unforeseen introductions happen when a new disease outbreak – caused by changes: in water quality, and living species within the habitat.
The takehome message from this section is that wastewater upon contact with a freshwater body can cause the growth of a new species. This species will slowly integrate itself into that environment, until its competition goes extinct.
The Role of Clean Water in Survival
Many species rely on specific water quality conditions for breeding, feeding, and shelter. For instance, coral populations will require clean, oxygen-rich waters for reproduction. This anecdote will briefly cover the story of these massive living structures in the ocean. “Coral reefs are biological constructions formed mainly by Scleractinian corals, therefore called “Ecosystem Engineers” (Jones et al., 1994)”
Reef building corals are able to synthesize calcium carbonate, which accumulate into massive quantities over a span of million years. However, at present, instead of accumulating more CaCO3, there appears to be a large decrease in the amount of coral. This is due to the oceans gradually becoming more acidic, as global warming, wastewater discharge, and water pollution cause the pH of the water bodies meeting the ocean to be more acidic. Acidity causes the skeleton of coral to decompose and become Calcium Hydrocarbonate, an ion that also becomes dangerous upon consumption by wildlife in large quantities.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
In conclusion, the health of our ecosystems is inextricably linked to the quality of our water. Protecting and restoring clean water sources is essential for sustaining biodiversity. This section can encourage readers to take action, whether through advocacy, education, or personal choices, to contribute to the preservation of both clean water and the rich biodiversity it supports.
Image References
https://freshwaterlake.weebly.com/food-web-interaction.html
https://www.lgsonic.com/understanding-eutrophication/
https://scientiamag.org/a-look-into-acid-rain-and-its-impact/#google_vignette
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Acid-rain-cause-damage-to-fish_fig1_341651250
