Elenco Water Filtration Kit - Manual (Page 4)

Science of Water Filtration
Water goes on quite a journey to reach our taps, safe and ready to drink. One of many important steps
in this process is filtration, which uses layers to sift contaminants out of the water. Edu-Toys introduces
Water Filtration Kit telling kids how water gets cleaned by building a simple filtration system and
more……
What’s Water Contamination?
Water contamination is the term used to describe hazardous materials of any kind that are polluting a
source of water. This could include both biological and chemical substances, and the water source may
be ponds, lakes, seas, oceans, or reservoirs used for drinking and bathing by humans. The most common
types of water contamination are chemical runoff from homes and businesses and sometimes human
or animal waste materials.
In industrialized nations, water contamination is much less common than in third world and developing
countries. That’s because sophisticated water purification systems are in place to clean waste materials
from the water, disinfect it using chemicals, and then purify it so that it is safe for consumption. Areas
that do not have these technologies may encounter contaminated water due to animal wastes entering
the water supply or household chemicals running from the ground into underground wells.
Most sources of water contamination in the industrialized world come from chemical pollution, either
from the dumping of chemicals onto the ground or down drains, or through accidental spills. Oil spills,
for instance, may occur from wells or ships and can contaminate water for miles from the spill site.
Industrial plants may also dump wastes into water, although this is less common due to tighter
government regulations regarding disposing of hazardous materials.
Any harmful material that enters water could be considered a form of water contamination. Drinking
polluted water has been linked to gastrointestinal upset, the spread of certain illnesses, and sometimes
death in severe cases.
3
Airborn Sulfur and
Nitrogen compounds
Pesticides,
Fertilizers
Septic system
Hazardous
Waste Dumps
Well
Gas station
Seepage
Urban runoff
Landfill
Boaters
Acid rain
Lake
Water Table
Groundwater flow Groundwater flow