• Question: will humans be able to stop river and sea pollution and how

    Asked by jenny to Andrew on 12 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Andrew Quigley

      Andrew Quigley answered on 12 Nov 2015:

      There are two main ways of stopping pollution: stopping the pollution getting to the water, and removing the pollution already in the water. These seem simple to do, but are often pretty expensive. For example, treating the water that comes out of your tap so it’s safe to drink takes a lot of energy, money, and time.

      Stopping the pollution getting to the water involves reducing possible contaminants. Things like waste water from factories, fertilizer and slurry from farms, and domestic waste all need to be managed to ensure that pollution can be stopped.

      Reversing pollution is another option. Remember a few years ago there was a big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Nanotechnology is being used to help remove the oil and reverse the effects of its pollution. That’s pretty cool I think!

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