With the development of industry, water pollution has become more serious nowadays. Pollutants are discharged by humans directly or indirectly into water bodies without enough treatment.  Drinking polluted water not only causes sickness to human but may even leads to death.  Besides, it affects all individual living species and the entire functioning ecosystems that exist in the waters.  Polluted water is a hazard to everyone, unless actions are taken to reduce water pollution.

First and foremost, water pollution has a bad impact on animals.  Animals and water animals are killed when water is poisoned.  It also has immediate impact on the wildlife including oil-coated birds and sea turtles.  Other animals are stressed and their populations are endangered. According to a report, a huge oil spill in USA in 2010 has killed over 1000 animals.

Besides, water pollution disrupts the natural food chain and eventually humans are affected by this process.  Humans get diseases such as hepatitis by eating poisoned seafood. In many poor nations, there is always outbreak of cholera, malaria, diarrhea and other diseases as a result of drinking contaminated water.  A recent survey from the Expedition Project indicates that each year there are about 250 million cases of water-based diseases, resulting in roughly 5-10 million deaths. Hence, polluted water is harmful to human’s health.

Furthermore, water pollution has negative impacts on the ecosystems. The order of ecosystems in the water is affected negatively due to the growth of algae and other water organisms.  They not only clog fish gills but reduce oxygen supply which threatens the survival of fish and other aquatic animals.  BBC News revealed that the Transocean Oil Rig explosion in April 2010 caused big disaster to the Gulf of Mexico coast.

To conclude, water pollution is a serious threat to us.  It has different levels of negative effects on animals, humans and the ecosystems.  Water is the source of our lives and it is very important to everyone.  Therefore, everyone has to protect the environment and take measures to reduce water pollution.