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Sedimentation refers to the substantial addition of sediments into water bodies through the hydraulic effect of water or erosion.
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Concerns with Sediment Pollution in Aquatic Bodies Sedimentation refers to the substantial addition of sediments into water bodies through the hydraulic effect of water or erosion. Sedimentation resulting from erosion can be caused by wave action or runoff. Sedimentation might also occur from wind action where fine particles of soil are transported and deposited into the water by the hydraulic action of wind. There have been concerns over the impact of sediments on the aquatic environment. Scientists have been concerned with the effect of sedimentation on the quality of water because sediments such as chemicals and foreign bodies often rot thereby releasing chemicals into the water. Animals carried into water might end up rotting and also release ammonia into the water thereby endangering aquatic life. In addition, excess sediments chock fish and kill other aquatic organisms thereby altering the chemical composition of water that sustains the aquatic life. First and foremost, sediments are the biggest pollutants in aquatic bodies with the highest pollution volume. This is collaborated with the fact that sediments are solids which settle down under water bodies according to the size of sediment particles. That is, bigger particles settle down fast while the smaller and less dense particles settle later on. Once the sediments are settled down in a river channel or an ocean or lake, the sediments literally displace water. This can be disastrous for inland water bodies like lakes, whose volume constantly reduces because of the continuous filling of the lake basin by in-let water bodies. This has been the concern with Lake Chad, which has seen its volume of water reduced dramatically. Such scenario implies that, more resources have to be injected in dredging or rehabilitating the water bodies. In conclusion, sedimentation has more harm than good to the quality and quantity of water in the lakes, oceans, other water bodies, and the aquatic life in particular. There is the need to check on human activities such as agricultural practices because such activities encourage soil erosion, which is the main source of sedimentation. Kyle Mitchel is a talented writer at https://topwritingservice.com/buy-motivation- letter/ He likes to depict his thoughts on paper.