Researchers selected Vembanad Lake in India to study how hydrosphere pollution changed during the course of the COVID-19 outbreak. Prior to the outbreak, Vembanad Lake: 
- was severely polluted by microplastics (496 particles m^-2) 
- contained high concentrations of toxic elements, including mercury, in both sediments and fish 
- contained liquid waste from various industries and tourism related activities 
- had heightened suspended particulate matter (SPM) 

Kenyon College

The hydrosphere refers to all water on the earth's surface. Human activity has severely polluted the hydrosphere over the span of many decades. Polluted water impacts human health in many ways. 
- About one billion people per year will become sick from polluted water (which includes wastes such as metals)
- Pathogens in polluted water spread illnesses such as Legionnaire's disease and cholera 
- Chemical pollutants such as lead or arsenic may cause health problems, including cancer 
- Polluted water may also cause skin rashes, eye infections, and respiratory infections 

Hydrosphere (Water) Pollution (Pre-COVID-19)

P. Yunus, A., Masago, Y., & Hijioka, Y. (2020). COVID-19 and Surface Water Quality: Improved Lake Water Quality During the Lockdown. Science of the Total Environment, 731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139012 

COVID-19 and Surface Water Quality: Improved Lake Water Quality During the Lockdown

Researchers selected Sabarmati River in India to study how hydrosphere pollution changed during the course of the COVID-19 outbreak. Prior to the outbreak, Sabarmati River: 
- was classified as having "medium to poor" water quality 
- contained a high concentration of heavy metals 
- was used to release industrial waste and sewage 
- had high levels of suspended particulate matter (SPM), the highest recorded value being 14.73 mg/l in 2015 

Water Pollution: Sabarmati River (India) (Pre-COVID-19)

Water Pollution: Vembanad Lake (India) (Pre-COVID-19)

Researchers selected the waterways around Venice to study how water turbidity changed during the COVID-19 outbreak. 
- Images taken April 19, 2019 and February 20, 2020 showed a high density of white wakes, including the wakes of speedboats and waterbuses. These were considered normal representations of water clarity
- Prior to lockdown, turbidity values ranged 1-10 FNU across various locations. Turbidity on February 20th near the busiest waterway was measured at 50 FNU

Learn Before

Related