Have you ever given a second thought as to whether the water you are drinking is pure? Of the 8 glasses of water that you drink every day, do you actually knowhow many harmful germs you are taking in? Water purification systems in our homes usually do a good job of filtering water and making it safe for drinking,but why then do we still fall prey to food poisoning, typhoid and dysentery? To understand this, it’s important to uncover the basics first. Read on to know more about what pure water actually implies, the popular and common contaminants of water and their sources, and how these contaminants can greatly impact your health.
Pure water: Water that is free from all materials and substances thatmay make it toxic to human life and unfit for consumption is termed as purewater. Innumerable deaths are caused everyyear due to lack of clean drinking water facilities in the country.
Common contaminants and theirsources: The most common source ofcontaminated water is toxic matter from industries and factories, which isdiscarded into drinking water bodies. Leakages in sewer lines, septic tanks,raw sewage overflow and dumping of waste into water bodies is yet anotherreason of contamination.
Nitrates, toxic minerals, salts,micro-organisms like e.coli, giardia, helminthes and cryptosporidium are somecommon contaminates which claim many lives every year.
Despite the presence and abundanceof purified water commonly packaged in sachet or bottle, many still fall preyto such illnesses. This is mostly because many a times, faults and improperfunctioning of the purification systems go unnoticed and ignored.
Health issues caused due to intakeof contaminated water: A largepercentage of deaths occurring today due to diarrhoea are mostly observed in childrenunder the age of 5 years, and this is most commonly observed in developingcountries. Improper sanitation is a major problem, and should be resolved atthe earliest.
Intake of contaminated water canlead to several health problems, some of which are listed below:
Diarrhoea: Diarrhoea is one of the most common health issues that canoccur as a result of drinking water contamination. Though diarrhoea is not agrave disease, if ignored, it can prove to be fatal. Vomiting, nausea, severedehydration are all common symptoms of diarrhoea.
Typhoid: Caused due to the bacterium salmonella typhi, typhoid is yetanother health issue that can occur after intake of contaminated water.Clinical and lab reports confirm the presence of typhoid bacteria, after which treatmentmeasures should be taken immediately.
Chronic health conditions: Toxic minerals taken in through contaminated water though donot show their harmful effects immediately, but in the long run, they can buildup and cause a huge, sometimes permanent damage to the body. Chronic healtheffects like liver and kidney damage, cancer, birth defects and permanentdamage to the immune and nervous system can also occur due to contaminatedwater.
Acute health effects: High levels of contaminants can often cause severe healthproblems, almost immediately. Skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and lungirritation are a few examples.
It is important to take good care of your environment.
Ensure you consume PURE WATER at alltimes.
Happy World Water Day!