Did you know that more than 100 pesticide ingredients are linked to causing cancer, birth defects, and gene mutation? Any of these could potentially be cause drinking water contamination, as they leak into the ground, lakes and rivers. Not only that, but your drinking water contamination could also come from the three million tons of toxic chemical in the air and cause land pollution that U.S. factories produce each year.
Drinking water contamination is a serious problem for the world. Consider the fact that China, alone, has an estimated 320 million people without access to clean drinking water. Not to mention the fact that the United States produces an estimated 30% of all waste world wide, or how the average office employee throws away 360 pounds of paper that could’ve been recycled each year! The truth is that our apathy towards being Earth’s caretakers will catch up in more ways than one, including the drinking water contamination that many already suffer.
Thankfully, there are ways that we can grapple and eventually conquer these environmental issues, such as drinking water contamination.
The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, has several laws that defend our planet and prevent such problems as drinking water contamination, such as the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, the EPA has many political opponents. Some of the things you, as a citizen, can do to help protect the environment is to show support for these eco-laws, and to back environmentally conscious political candidates.
The Natural Resource Defense Council, or NRDC, also lists easy ways that people can prevent drinking water contamination every day. The organization says that in your yard, you can decrease impervious surfaces like concrete or asphalt around your home that create runoff, use native plants and fertilizers, and not to overwater lawns and gardens. The NRDC also recommends that in your home you should recycle and dispose all hazardous materials appropriately, and use nontoxic household products as often as possible.
It’s the little things that add up to big problems, like drinking water contamination. If you have any questions about how to help keep the Earth safe, feel free to ask in the comments!
