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Water is a pure chemical compound, consisting of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O). It is tasteless and odorless. Water is transparent in small amounts but has a bluish tinge in large amounts. It is the most abundant liquid on earth. In solid form (ice) and liquid form, it covers approximately 70% of the earth's surface and is present in varying amounts in the atmosphere. Most of a human being's living tissue is made up of water. About 92% of blood plasma, 80% of muscle tissue, 60% of red blood cells, and over half of most other tissue is made up of water. It is also an important component of the tissues of most other living things.
Given its vital importance to sustaining life, pollution and water quality is a major environmental concern. Water pollution and contamination not only causes innocent organisms to die off, it also affects our drinking water. Water becomes polluted directly when harmful substances are emitted directly into a body of water, such as when an oil spill is introduced into a body of water. It is also introduced when pollutants are indirectly delivered through environmental changes such as when fertilizer from a field is carried into a stream by rain in the form of run-off.
Estimates suggest that nearly 1.5 billion people lack safe drinking water and that at least 5 million deaths per year can be attributed to waterborne diseases. Raw sewage, garbage and oil spills have begun to overwhelm the diluting capabilities of the oceans and most coastal waters are now polluted. Beaches around the world are now regularly closed, often due to high amounts of bateria from sewage disposal and marine wildlife is beginning to suffer.
The United Nations and the United States, as well as individual states and local municipalities have begun addressing these issues but there is still much more to do in order to assure clean water and prevent further contamination of the earth's water quality.
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