Pollution of Rivers, Lakes and Seas is a Major Concern for People- IELTS Writing Task 2

Pollution of rivers, lakes and seas is a major concern for people who seek to protect the environment. What are the possible causes of water pollution, and what effects does this have on animal life and human society?

Outline

Essay Type

Cause and effect essay

Introduction

Explain the cause and its effect clearly in one or two lines. Explain in brief what you are going to write in the body paragraphs.

Water pollution, which damages aquatic bodies such as rivers and lakes, is a key concern for individuals who want environmental protection.

Body paragraphs

Paragraph 1: When dangerous elements, such as chemicals or bacteria, pollute a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, the water quality degrades and becomes toxic to humans and the environment.

Paragraph 2: The pervasive issue of water contamination is jeopardizing our health.

Conclusion

Summarize the problems and their solutions.

Sample Essay

Water pollution, which damages aquatic bodies such as rivers and lakes, is a key concern for individuals who want environmental protection. The sources of this form of pollution are mostly ascribed to human activity, and its effects on animals and humans are mild to severe. In the following paragraphs, I shall discuss the causes and possible effects.

When dangerous elements, such as chemicals or bacteria, pollute a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, the water quality degrades and becomes toxic to humans and the surroundings. Water is uniquely vulnerable to infection. The most major threat to the water has been recognized as sewage waste. A large number of factories have been built, particularly following the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century, which dump their chemical waste into the water bodies. Moreover, excessive pesticide and fertilizer usage aggravate the aquatic environment. As a result, harmful chemical pollutants infiltrate the soils and are easily washed away by rain, eventually flowing into streams and lakes.

The pervasive issue of water contamination is jeopardizing our health. Each year, unsafe water kills more people than all other types of violence combined. A primary source of illness from polluted drinking water is pathogens in the form of disease-causing bacteria and viruses from human and animal waste. Cholera, giardia, and typhoid are among the diseases carried by contaminated water. The dilemma causes submerged species to lose their habitat. People unlawfully discarded the garbage into the water, resulting in many dead fish and shrimp floating in the sea.

In conclusion, water contamination has a disastrous impact on fauna and society. Therefore, government authorities and citizens should take prompt action to address this issue and rescue the planet Earth.

Vocabulary

• Ascribed 

Meaning: (verb) regard something as being due to (a cause).
Eg: Authorities ascribe great importance to their policies.

• Degrades 

Meaning: (verb) break down or deteriorate chemically.
Eg: Biodegradable plastic starts to degrade upon exposure to sunlight.

• Vulnerable

Meaning: (adj) exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
Eg: Children are the most vulnerable members of society.

• Aggravate

Meaning: (verb) make (a problem, injury, or offense) worse or more serious.
Eg: Himanshi aggravated her ankle injury.

• Infiltrate

Meaning: (verb) enter or gain access to (an organization, place, etc.) surreptitiously and gradually, especially in order to acquire secret information.
Eg: The thief tried to infiltrate the house.

• Pervasive

Meaning: (adj) (especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely throughout an area or a group of people.
Eg: Participating in adventurous activities is so pervasive.

• Jeopardizing 

Meaning: (verb) put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure.
Eg: Nitin’s foolish actions are jeopardizing his career.

• Submerged 

Meaning: (verb) cause (something) to be under water.
Eg: The town was submerged in water due to a flood.

• Disastrous 

Meaning: (adj) causing great damage.
Eg: The radiation leak has had a disastrous effect on the environment.

• Prompt 

Meaning: (adj) done without delay; immediate.
Eg: The student gave a prompt reply to the teacher’s questions.