When Did Water Pollution Start?

Early forms of water pollution were usually due to contamination from human and animal waste, which caused major outbreaks of diseases like cholera. After the Industrial Revolution, new manufacturing and mining processes caused toxic chemicals to be dumped into lakes and rivers at a high rate. Several bodies of water became so polluted that they caught fire. However, even in ancient times industries like textile dye factories and tanneries were known for causing water pollution.