China is the world’s most polluted nation, and water pollution is a continually growing problem.  Over 100,000 Chinese die every year from water pollution related incidents and 75% of illnesses in China are caused by the poor drinking water.  But the problem doesn’t stop there, the untreated water from industrial plants and house sewage is running into the lakes, rivers, and ground water and then harming the wildlife as well.  Many of the factories that use polluted and untreated water and water sources are making goods for consumption by people in the United States and China; so this issue is affecting the population on a global scale.

            The many causes of pollution in China’s water are due to industrial plants, chemical fertilizers and spills, raw sewage, and others.  In 2006, there was a 60% increase of sewage released in coastal waters off China’s shores.  Nearly 10,000 Chinese factories are located on the banks of rivers, constantly dumping chemicals and pollutants into the rivers.  All of the pollutants are finding their way into the rivers, but then are carried into the seas and oceans outside of China so it is affecting many other areas of the world as well.  Once these pollutants reach the seas, the winds carry them into Japan and South Korea to harm their people and wildlife as well.

            Red tides and algae blooms are affecting the coastal waters of China and the wildlife in them. The algae blooms are caused by too many nutrients in the water and they suffocate the fish because they take up all the oxygen.  In 2007, coastal waters off the industrial town of Shenzhen produced a 50 kilometer slick and was one of the biggest red tides ever.  China has seen an astounding 40 fold increase in the incidence of red tides over the last few years.  The red tides are not only dangerous to humans, but they are also destroying fish stocks and devastating marine life at a rapid rate for both China and neighboring countries.

            China has the world’s largest fishing and aquaculture industry, which is suffering due to all of the water pollution and lack of clean water. China produces about 70% of the fish products consumed by the world. China provides fish, mussels, and scallops to other countries like the United States and Japan; so we could possibly be consuming some cancer-causing fish and bivalves.  The Chinese industry is taking a huge hit because other countries are now wary about buying their fish from China because they don’t know if it is safe to eat.  Recently, both Japan and the European Union have imposed bans on Chinese seafood due to their poor safety standards.  The fish farmers have been using illegal drugs mixed with pesticides to keep the fish alive.  Chinese fish farmers have suffered a 30% decline in the survival of the fish and other seafood so this industry is losing a lot of money due to the heavily polluted waters.