Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

must rely on bottled water because some of their tapwater is too polluted to drink.Use of bottled water can also cause some environmentalproblems. For example, 1.4 million metric tons(1.5 million tons) of plastic bottles are thrown awayglobally each year, and toxic gases and liquids are releasedduring the manufacture of plastic water bottles.In addition, greenhouse gases and other air pollutantsare emitted by the fossil fuels burned to make plasticbottles and to deliver bottled water to suppliers.Before drinking expensive bottled water and buyingcostly home water purifiers, health officials suggestthat consumers have their water tested by localhealth authorities or private labs (not companies tryingto sell water purification equipment). The goals areto identify what contaminants (if any) must be removedand to determine the type of purificationneeded to remove such contaminants. Independent expertscontend that unless tests show otherwise, formost urban and suburban Americans served by largemunicipal drinking water systems, home water treatmentsystems are not worth the expense and maintenancehassles.Buyers should check out companies selling waterpurification equipment and be wary of claims that theEPA has approved a treatment device. Although theEPA does register such devices, it neither tests nor approvesthem.xHOW WOULD YOU VOTE? Should pollution standardsbe established for bottled water? Cast your vote online athttp://biology.brookscole.com/miller14.SolutionsWater Pollution• Prevent groundwater contamination• Greatly reduce nonpoint runoff• Reuse treated wastewater for irrigation• Find substitutes for toxic pollutants• Work with nature to treat sewage• Practice four R's of resource use (refuse, reduce,recycle, reuse)• Reduce resource waste• Reduce air pollution• Reduce poverty• Reduce birth ratesFigure 22-19 Solutions: methods for preventing and reducingwater pollution. Which two of these solutions do you believe arethe most important?How Can We Reduce Water Pollution?Individuals MatterShifting our priorities from controlling topreventing and reducing water pollution willrequire bottom-up political action by individualsand groups.It is encouraging that since 1970 most of the world’sdeveloped countries have enacted laws and regulationsthat have significantly reduced point-sourcewater pollution. Most of these improvements were theresult of bottom-up political pressure on elected officialsby individuals and organized groups. However,little has been done to reduce water pollution in mostdeveloping countries.To health scientists and environmentalists the nextstep is to increase efforts to reduce and prevent waterpollution in developed and developing countries byasking the question: How can we avoid producing waterpollutants in the first place? Figure 22-19 lists ways to dothis over the next several decades.This shift to preventing water pollution will not takeplace in developed countries without bottom-up politicalpressure on elected officials. It will not occur in developingcountries without similar pressure from citizensas well financial and technical aid from developedcountries. Figure 22-20 lists some actions you cantake to help reduce water pollution.What Can You Do?Water Pollution• Fertilize your garden and yard plants with manureor compost instead of commercial inorganic fertilizer.• Minimize your use of pesticides.• Never apply fertilizer or pesticides near a body of water.• Grow or buy organic foods.• Compost your food wastes.• Do not use water fresheners in toilets.• Do not flush unwanted medicines down the toilet.• Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil, antifreeze,or other products containing harmful chemicals downthe drain or onto the ground.Figure 22-20 What can you do? Ways to help reduce waterpollution.516 CHAPTER 22 Water Pollution