Water is a must for every human’s well-being. Not only does it keep you hydrated but it also keeps you alive. Your body requires water to fuel the immune system and keep it ticking over every second of the day.
Making sure that you drink clean and high-quality water is the key to safeguarding your health. While water suppliers do everything in their power to remove contaminants and impurities from the supply by adding disinfectant agents to the water, water contamination is still a very real (and extremely common) thing.
Contaminated water can occur in both city and well water supplies, along with freshwater sources such as streams, rivers, and lakes. Ingesting this contaminated water in any capacity can have numerous effects on humans.
If you have been exposed to contaminated water you can contact a legal representative – like the team at https://trulaw.com/ – to make a claim and get the compensation you deserve.
Here’s all the information you need to know.
What Causes Contaminated Water?
Contaminated water refers to multiple human activities or practices that encourage harmful chemical substances to make their way into different bodies of water.
One of the most destructive sources of water contamination is the runoff of pesticide contaminated water in an agricultural setting and also the indiscriminate disposal of municipal, domestic, and industrial wastes in rivers, water channels, lakes, and streams.
The biggest industries that contribute to water contamination typically revolve around agriculture, food, fertilizer factories, mining, pharmaceuticals, and steel.
There are multiple causes of contaminated water that you need to know about, including the following:
- Agricultural water pollution
- Sewage water pollution
- Garbage and plastics
- Radioactive waste in water
- Oil spills
- Water pollution after fracking
What Are The Water Pollutants That Impact Human Health?
There are many pollutants in contaminated water that have a direct impact on human health. All of these impact the body in different ways. This includes the following drinking water contaminants:
- Arsenic
- Bio contaminants like bacteria, viruses, and parasites
- Chromium
- Copper
- Disinfection byproducts such as chloroform
- Fossil fuels including gasoline
- Lead
- Microplastics
- Nitrates and nitrites
- Perchlorate
- Pesticides
- Pharmaceutical drugs
- Radioactive materials
Main Symptoms And Effects Of Drinking Contaminated Water
You must be aware that any health effects caused by contaminated water will not always appear immediately. Additionally, lifestyle factors like physical condition, age, and overall health will also have a huge impact on the extent of the effects that are experienced.
Some of the most prominent (and most common) symptoms that contaminated water has on humans are as follows:
- Death
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
- Gastrointestinal Problems
- Intestinal or Stomach Cramping
- Intestinal or Stomach Aches and Pains
- Nausea
If drinking water contains an unsafe level of contaminants it could cause many health effects ranging from gastrointestinal illnesses to issues with the reproductive system. In a worst-case scenario, it could result in chronic diseases such as cancer or even death!
Factors that may influence whether or not a contaminant will lead to health effects include the concentration in the water, the type of contaminant, the amount of water consumed, individual susceptibility, and also the duration of exposure.
Make sure you keep an eye out for any long term symptoms of contaminated water on humans.
Other Effects
Yet that’s not all. Water contamination not only poses a significant burden on the health of the masses but also presents a social and economic issue. Water contamination will lead to many problems like a loss of wages or productivity as people must spend time and effort to collect safe drinking water.
How Does Water Pollution Harm People?
Any type of direct human contact with contaminated water through drinking, contact with the skin, or even the consumption of food that is either prepared or grown using contaminated water can pose a significant danger to human health.
When main pollutants including pesticides, fertilizers, waste, and even septic systems somehow make their way into an aquifer, they will make all water unsuitable for human consumption.
One of the most affordable and effective ways to remove chemicals and microbes from water is via filtration. All filtration systems that feature rigorous processes will be successful in removing bacteria, parasites, heavy metals, and chlorine before you even get near the water.
Summary
From diarrhea to death, contaminated water could have many negative effects on human health. Water contamination will continue to have a significant impact on the health of humans everywhere if we keep consuming water that is polluted by sewage, microplastics, or even chemical contaminants.
