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Waste disposal
It has long been convenient to use lakes, rivers, and oceans as receiving bodies for human and industrial wastes. While water is capable of diluting and "digesting" society's wastes to some degree, there are limits to what even the largest body of water can absorb. The extent to which instream processes can absorb contaminants depends on factors such as the nature of the contaminant, how much of it there is compared to the volume of water, how long the contaminant stays in the water, the temperature of the water, the rate of flow. Many of our waterways are now overloaded with wastes. This problem can best be resolved by increased regulation and/or monitoring.
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