How roads can pollute water

By: Hedda and Emily

Our group task was to find out more about the drinking water sources and how/if it can get polluted by roads in the area. We made some questions about things we would like to know that we sent to different people that know about the condition of the water and could answer our questions. Sadly, none of them answered so we tried to answer our own questions as well as possible by searching on the internet and using the sources that our teacher recommended for us. Since we never got any answers from the people we asked, we needed to find out the answers ourselves. And by searching on the internet and using some of the links that our teacher sent us, these were the answers we got.

Here are the questions and answers we got:

Does our drinking water get affected by the roads (gravel, sand etc.)?

The roads can affect the water both while they are being built and when in use. The reason for that is that when for example you build the road, a lot of sand is in use, and some of that often can end up in the water if there is any in the area.

What is the reason behind water pollution?

Over spring when the snow melts and becomes water, that water gathers with the other water sources, the drinking water too. That snow has been out all winter and contains a lot of emissions form cars and roads that is not meant to go into your body. So, when that snow melts together with our drinking water, the water gets polluted.

Can groundwater get polluted?

Yes, it can, even though groundwater is found far below the ground it is possible. As an example, it is proven that on the Marshall Islands the water has gotten polluted by earlier nuclear explosions by the USA. This shows that ground water that is not protected by the surface can get polluted.

What kind of particles found in gravel, sand etc. are there that are harmful?

Particles found in gravel, sand etc. that are harmful are pollutants, microplastics and heavy metals from construction sites or from roads in use. Both surface water and ground water can get polluted by these. When roads are in use, can particles from car tires and dust change the quality of water nearby. The most common type of pollutant that affects water is heavy metals from tires and brakes. These metals are zinc and copper. It is also common to find molecules from car exhaust and salts (when it is winter) which is because of imperfect combustion. Imperfect combustion is when there is not enough oxygen for the fuel to oxidize properly. As a result, what should have been carbon dioxide in the exhaust turns into carbon monoxide. Microplastic is also a big polluter, and roads are one of the biggest sources to this. The microplastics come from tires, and it compiles itself in dust and other particles and gets rinsed out with washing liquids. It is almost impossible to get rid of microplastics in nature, so the government has put out barriers for the plastic that stops it from entering nature.

Why can we not drink these particles?

We cannot drink these particles because they are harmful for our bodies. Metals, especially heavy metals, are dangerous in high concentrations. It is even more threatening to your health if they are in the air and you breathe them in. So, drinking metals is less harmful than breathing them. Metals can cause cancer, issues in the nervous system, and issues in the heart and vascular system. Microplastics have a low health risk, according to a report from WHO. Microplastics are therefore not something to worry about. Pollutants are damaging, but there are a lot of things that need to be considered before you can determine if it is harmful or not. Nevertheless, pollutants are toxic. They can cause cancer, heart and vascular disease, as well as damaging the development of infants in many ways.

Is this a big problem for the drinking water in Nesodden (where we live)?

No, the drinking water in Nesodden is cleansed thoroughly and safe to drink. Some people that live here have gotten a strange flavour or scent in their water, but that is not caused by anything harmful.

In conclusion, the water around roads does get polluted under construction as well as when the roads are in use. The most common particles are pollutants, microplastics and heavy metals. Pollutants and heavy metals are harmful, whereas microplastics are not very harmful. Where we live, the drinking water is perfectly safe and free of pollutants.