Mr. Fang built a self-sufficient backyard farm using the water collected from rain to grow vegetables for the family. Clearwater Innovation took a look at his project in the Water Innovators series.
Watch the full video below:
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By Sidor Clare, Grade 9
Water pollution is created when damaging substances, usually microorganisms or chemicals, enter and contaminate the water. Some of these pollutants include fertilizer, pesticides, and sewage discharge, all of which have detrimental effects on marine ecosystems, including fish. Fertilizer, usually introduced into water through runoff from farms, and sewage brings nitrogen and phosphorus into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Nitrogen and phosphorus help plants and algae grow, and as the nutrients build up, plants and algae overgrow. When they die, they decay and deplete oxygen levels in the water, causing fish to die. Pesticides, also introduced through runoff, kill fish even in low concentrations. When fossil fuels are burned, heavy metals are introduced into the atmosphere and then deposited in water, which severely impacts a fish’s growth and sense of smell. As a result, fish are unable to evade predators or acquire food. Further, when fish ingest toxins like these, the toxins stay in their system or are passed up the food chain. If we eat a fish that ingested toxins, or a fish that ate that fish, we are eating all of the toxins the fish consumed. We might not think about where our sewage or pesticides end up, but we need to be more aware of and intentional about it. If we aren’t, it will come back to haunt us.
Not only does water pollution kill fish, but it can also change their gender. Certain chemicals called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) alter the way that hormones work in vertebrates, which include humans and fish. When humans consume drugs with EDCs, they excrete some of the EDC. Wastewater treatment plants are not capable of removing these chemicals from wastewater so they are brought into bodies of water with that wastewater. Male fish living in these areas have been observed changing genders, a process that decreases their fertility. Their biology changes to become more female and some fish even have male and female reproductive organs. A study by the University of Exeter’s Biosciences and the Institute of Environment at Brunel University found that fish who had alternated genders had reduced reproductive performance by up to 76% (1). The presence of EDCs could significantly decrease the population of affected fish. Beyond that, humans are vertebrates as well and the hormone systems of different vertebrates are fairly similar, so the harmful effects these chemicals have on fish might also be seen on humans.
Gender bending and pharmaceutical chemicals can affect fish in other ways as well. In a study conducted by St. Cloud University and the U.S. Geological Survey, male fish exposed to pharmaceutical chemicals did not protect their nests as ferociously as male fish not exposed to those chemicals. Female fish exposed to the same chemicals generally had an increased liver size. Also, minnows exposed to pharmaceutical chemicals had a growth reduction and impaired escape abilities. All of these behaviors could cause a decrease in the fish population.
These problems may seem distant, but if fish populations decrease drastically, it would harm the ecosystems they live in. As a food source and livelihood for humans, environmental changes that negatively impact fish would harm us as well. Last but definitely not least, as consumers of fish products, we could be eating the toxins we put in their habitats.
By Samhita Pokkunuri, Grade 8
Have you ever considered what happens to the world around you when you forget to turn off the sink or spend too much time in the shower? Or put off fixing the pipe leak that's been torturing you for months? Chances are, you probably haven't. But as it turns out, these little details make more of an impact than you think. Did you know that each American uses an average of 88 gallons of water at home a day? That's about 32,000 gallons of water per year! (1) According to the United Nations, around two-thirds of the world's population is likely to face water scarcity by 2025. (2) Yikes. Before you get scared and stop taking showers entirely though, here are five innovative ideas that have helped relieve our world's water crisis.
1) The Eco-Drop Shower: A primary source of excessive water usage is showers. Eco-Drop, created by Tommaso Colia, has pairs of concentric circles that will rise after a while, signaling that your showering is done for the day. (3) Eco-Drop also uses eco-friendly materials; this innovation provides a unique way to conserve water daily. (This was actually made ten years ago, but the invention is still relevant and definitely deserves a spot on this list!)
2) Faucet Buddy: The name of this innovation pretty much describes its purpose. Faucet Buddy, designed by Baek Uyeol, is a small application you add to your faucet or any sink you have around your house. It'll notify you of how much water you've been using to help prevent you from wasting too much on a daily basis. And as a tiny plus, it tells you how hot or cold your shower water is so you know what you are getting into. (4)
3) Bamboo Warkawater Towers: The Bamboo Warkawater Towers look like any ordinary tower to a person who doesn't know what they do. However—and this may seem surprising—these towers can produce 13 to 26.4 gallons of water per day! (5) How? Rain, fog, and dew condense against the mesh outside the structure and go down a funnel into a reservoir, where it’s stored and further condensed into water.
4) Waterpebble: Created by Paul Priestman, this innovative device encourages people to reduce their shower time, as it measures the amount of water going down your plughole as you shower. The light flashes from green to red to symbolize that you are finished showering. This device exponentially reduces your shower time by motivating you to make sure your device is always green! (6) As you continue to use the device, the time it takes for the light to flash from green to yellow to red shrinks.
5) Eco Gadgets - Perfect Flush: Made by Brondell, a manufacturing company, this little gadget's flush system can help you save up to 50% of water! (7) Perfect Flush’s mechanism allows your toilet to run on less water. It comes with two buttons: you can either use a full-flush (therefore emptying the tank), or a half-flush, meaning that the toilet will only use about 50-70% of the water necessary to flush your toilet. Not only does it conserve tons of water, but it also takes only 30 minutes to install, making it an efficient, easy-to-use device!
These five innovations have made an impact on the water crisis today. Without them, we'd likely be suffering a far worse fate than we are already. But just because there are innovations out there to help conserve water doesn't mean your job is complete—your actions still make a difference, no matter how small, and there are tons of ways you can help conserve water in your daily life. One thing is absolutely clear: there is still a bubble of hope, and you can make that bubble bigger.
(1) https://www.epa.gov/watersense/statistics-and-facts
(2) https://www.seametrics.com/blog/water-conservation-facts/
(3) https://www.igreenspot.com/the-eco-drop-shower-by-tommaso-colia/
(4) https://www.yankodesign.com/2008/01/15/faucet-buddy-tells-you-about-water/
(5) https://www.wired.com/2015/01/architecture-and-vision-warkawater/
(6) https://www.waterpebble.com/
(7) https://ecofriend.com/eco-gadgets-perfect-flush-makes-any-toilet-save-up-to-50-water.html
Cover photo from myownwater.com
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