What Are the Health Effects of Contaminated Water?

Water is a central part of our lives as humans. We use it to cook, clean, water our crops, and even provide power. But most importantly, we drink it because it has many benefits and our bodies require it in order to function. So what happens when we drink contaminated water? In this article, we’ll explain the health effects of consuming contaminated water.

The Health Effects of Drinking Contaminated Water

Water can be contaminated in many different ways, including through manufacturing operations, fertilizers and pesticides, stormwater, sewer overflows, industrial animal farms, broken or damaged pipes within water distribution systems, and more. Contaminated water’s effect on humans depends on the specific contaminant, and there are two main categories they can fall into:

Bacteria

The first way that water can be contaminated is by bacteria, or “germs”. Some of the most common germs found in drinking water include:

• Cryptosporidium
• Legionella
• Campylobacter
• Norovirus
• E. coli O157
• Rotavirus
• Enterovirus
• Salmonella
• Giardia
• Shigella
• Hepatitis A

Many of these germs can make you sick if you ingest water contaminated with them. Some of the health effects they cause include stomach cramps, coughing, fever, nausea, upset stomach, vomiting, dehydration, loss of appetite, body aches, and diarrhea. If untreated, these effects can worsen and become more severe, with some even leading to death. In fact, diarrhea kills nearly one million people around the world each year. 

Chemicals

While water contaminated with bacteria can lead to immediate health issues, they can usually be cleared up with medicine. The other type of water contamination is that caused by chemicals, which can lead to more serious, lasting effects. Some of the most common chemical contaminants found in water include:

• Arsenic
• Lead
• Mercury
• Chromium
• Cadmium
• Pharmaceuticals like naproxen
• Pesticides, insecticides, organic compounds, and cancer-causing substances like 1,2-dichloroethane, trihalomethane
• PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)

Drinking water contaminated with chemicals can lead to many different health issues and chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver and kidney problems, immune and reproductive system issues, neurodevelopmental effects, Parkinson’s disease, and more. Many of these health effects cannot be cured and last for the rest of your life.

At Aqua Clara, we provide access to clean water by designing, developing, and disseminating clean water technologies to benefit those who live on less than $2 per day. We also aim to provide safe drinking water by offering our Universal Cartridge Filter, which reduces many different contaminants. You can purchase a filter directly from our website, or from Wal-Mart, where they are also now available. 

Our Universal Cartridge Filter fits most household filter products, includes a rubber seal to protect against contamination, and will purify your home's drinking water at a reasonable price. The proceeds from these filters help fund our projects all over the world, so consider helping us make a difference by purchasing a filter today!

About Aqua Clara International

Scientists long ago discovered how to purify unsafe water. To us, the central issue has been in designing solutions that are both sustainable and scalable and that can reach the millions in need while at the same time continuing to function without sustained outside input. Our target populations are those individuals and families who live on $2 per day or less.

We are a technology transfer organization. Our niche in clean water continues to be in designing science-based technologies that utilize locally available materials where possible and then transferring what we learn to those working in areas of need. The cost of our technologies varies by country and is dependent on the prevailing costs of raw materials, such as plastic containers, PVC piping, sand, etc. Learn more by visiting our website.