Page 9 - SGG_220316_Teachers_Handbook_Module_2

1.3.2. Water Pollution
Toxic substances enter lakes, rivers, and oceans, getting dissolved in them, floating in the water,
or settling on the bottom, resulting in water pollution. Water quality is degraded as well. Water
pollution negatively affect aquatic ecosystems, and the pollutants can even seep through and
reach the groundwater, ending up in our households as contaminated water we use in our daily

Page | 9 activities, including drinking. (WWF, 2020)
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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine
debris as already mentioned above, can end up in different water bodies and in different forms,
shapes and sizes. Due to the microplastics of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch the water looks like
a cloudy soup, which intermixed with larger items, such as fishing gear and shoes. (National
Geographic Society, 2019)

It is recommended to start talking about water pollution after presenting to your students
the following video:

“The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Explained | Research | The Ocean Cleanup”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EyaTqezSzs&t=160s

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the

information contained therein.