In addition to the industrial restructuralisation that took place mainly during the first half of the 1990s, the termination or reduction of some production activities, technological changes associated with reduced water consumption and wastewater discharge and the above mentioned improvement of sewer systems and waste water treatment plants in compliance with the application of the “polluter pays” principle overseen by the Czech Environmental Inspectorate play major roles in reducing the water pollution. Between 1990 and 2007 the amount of pollution discharged decreased by 94.7 % for biochemical oxygen demand, by 88 % for chemical oxygen demand, by 90 % for undissolved substances and by 14.6 % for dissolved anorganic salts.
Besides agriculture, textile industry is the second biggest polluter of water. Moreover, there are 72 toxic chemicals released during textile dyeing which can intoxicate waters. These chemicals do not just harm the quality of water, but the ecosystem as a whole, make us prone to chemical exposure and its health hazards. Even if cotton production is not an issue in our country, as our climatic conditions are not appropriate, globally 2.6 % of annual global water usage fall on it. In addition it burdens the soil and potentially pollutes water with pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Moreover, 25 % of the worldwide insecticide use and 10% of global pesticide consumption is used for growing cotton. Luckily, in the Czech Republic water pollution by textile industry due to all the measures and regulations afore mentioned ranges between 7-8 percent of total water pollution which is not alarming and this trend is to be continued as 2015 statistic says.
Erasmus+ 36