Health Problems Due To Water Pollution

Health problems due to water pollution happen more often than many people think. This is because people need to drink water every day, so it is a great problem when water is polluted and people already have consumed it. It could cause a great variety of diseases (of course, some are worse than others). There are a lot of contaminants that can pollute water.
“EPA has set standards for more than 80 contaminants that may occur in drinking water and pose a risk to human health.” Link 1 Page 2
Like in every product, water has a quality or purity standard, etc. Associations such as EPA work hard to maintain that quality or standard. Also associations prevent people from using the polluted water by using media, like radio, television, newspapers and announcements to warn the public of the danger. Actually, it is easier to face these kind of problems now that people are more connected and also have technology that allows them to examine water.
People present symptoms time later the contact with the polluted water has occurred. As it could affect inside the body, it could also affect skin or eyes for example. Sometimes, the organism can protect the body against the bacteria or the germs in the water; this depends directly with the higher the levels of pollution are. The most dangerous effects occur after years of having contact or drinking water, these are called chronic effects.
“The drinking water contaminants that can have chronic effects are chemicals (such as disinfection by-products, solvents, and pesticides), radionuclides (such as radium), and minerals (such as arsenic). Examples of the chronic effects of drinking water contaminants are cancer, liver or kidney problems, or reproductive difficulties.”Link 2 Page 2
Nowadays, it is more frequent to talk about metals that are dissolved in water, like arsenic (that is a semi-metal element in the periodic table). This happens because of the extraction of water from under the earth, which would not be necessary if all the water near the surface wasn’t already consumed. These metals, after years of exposure, cause chronic effects because the metals affect the cells directly making them mutate. The problem to face in Torreon is the decrease of water in the aquifers causing the extraction of metals like arsenic at the bottom of the aquifers
The quality of water varies from place to place. It is always different, like from where the water is extracted, or what pollutants were found in that water.
“The United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world.” Link 3 Page 2
Companies that work in the treatment of water like SIMAS and SIDEAPA should have to report on the treatment of their water.
Bibliography
1. http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/dwh/health.html
2. http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/humanhealth/
3. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/index.html