Estuary and Coastal Pollution of Brackish Water

Brackish water is found where ocean or marine water meets with freshwater from rivers such as in estuaries.

An estuary is a junction where a river flows into the ocean.
It is an intertidal zone containing partially fresh and salty water. Many estuaries have been modified by human activities with about 80% of the pollution in estuaries and coastal areas coming from land-based sources.

Causes of pollution in estuaries

Causes of pollution in estuaries or coastal areas include:

1. The large human population is mainly within or close to coastal areas: a third of the world’s population lives within a hundred kilometers of a coastline.
2. Read Also: Framework for Water Pollution Control
4. Use of large quantities of fertilizers that runoff surplus reactive nitrogen and phosphorus.
5. Increase in impermeable surfaces (e.g. concrete floors, tarred parking lots) promote runoff of several pollutants.
6. Destruction of coastal wetlands by filling, and draining for construction reduce space for water absorption, groundwater recharge, and absorption of pollutants.
7. Coastal waters are stressed by pollution, and fisheries and wildlife populations are affected.