MindYOURWater

Copper is a naturally occurring, used to make many products including plumbing systems, therefore, it can enter drinking water through household plumbing systems. Consuming copper long periods of time can cause a variety of illnesses, such as vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, liver damage and kidney disease.

Fine solid is a term used for particles with a diameter between 2 and 75 microns. Examples of fine solids are silt, coarse clay, organic fines, and phytoplankton. Fine solids get accumulated in the water through industrial discharges, sewage, fertilizers, road runoff, and soil erosion. There is no known direct hazard to health. Nevertheless, in high concentration fine solids in drinking water can act as the carrier of toxins and affect the taste of water.

Heavy metals are normally present in drinking water in small amounts and support everyday body functioning; however, excess exposure to heavy metals is a hazard for health. Heavy metals enter groundwater geologically, as a consequence of agricultural activities and through industrial wastewater. Effect on the human body varies depending on the metal variety and concentration. It may include allergic dermatitis, renal arterial hypertension, liver and kidney diseases, bone and brain diseases, delays in the physical and mental development of infants, and more.

Lindane is an insecticide, which is used on a variety of crops and greenhouse vegetables, and in forestry for seed treatment. In addition to this, lindane is used as a therapeutic pesticide, for example as a scabies treatment in humans and animals. Lindane can physically enter the water from direct application for the control of mosquitos and from use in agriculture and forestry. The main route of exposure to humans is through the consumption of food. Both short-term and long-term studies have concluded that lindane was toxic to the kidney and liver regardless of route of exposure.

Pesticides is a term used to describe a range of chemicals that are used to treat pests like weeds and insects. These chemicals include herbicides, disinfectants, fungicides, insecticides, natural and biological pesticides, repellents, and rodenticides. Level of pesticide contamination in water can vary from month to month and from season to season. All pesticides have some toxicity to them, levels of which vary between products; the effect of them on human health would vary depending on the consumed chemical and dosage. Charcoal filters and reverse-osmosis treatments can be used to remove or minimise pesticides in drinking water at home.

Pharmaceuticals is a term for chemicals (both natural and synthetic) that exist in a variety of drugs, for example, prescription and over-the-counter drug as well as veterinary medicine. Pharmaceuticals penetrate surface water and drinking water through raw sewage and wastewater discharges. Consumption of water with a low concentration of pharmaceuticals is extremely unlikely to cause any significant adverse health impacts on humans. Some advanced water treatment processes target specific pharmaceuticals compounds and can achieve high removal rates (above 99%), namely, ozonation, advanced oxidation, activated carbon and membranes (e.g. nanofiltration, reverse osmosis).

Plumb consists of lead and other heavy metals. It gets in the water through corrosion of household plumbing. Lead is highly toxic and may cause delays in physical and mental development in infants, as well as a variety of kidney problems and blood pressure issues in adults.

Silver occurs naturally in nature and is a by-product of the retrieval of copper, lead, zinc, and gold ores. The metal is commonly used to make jewellery, silverware, electronic equipment, and dental fillings. Silver is known for its antibacterial qualities and is often used to disinfect drinking water and water in swimming pools. A number of products that help to quit smoking, such as lozenges and chewing gum, were noted to contain silver. Everyone is exposed to a very low amount of silver daily through food, water, air and wearing jewellery. Exposure to a large amount of silver can cause respiratory irritation, abdominal pain, skin discolouration and burns, and weight loss.

Uranium is a common radioactive substance, which occurs naturally as a mineral in air, water, soil and rocks. There are three varieties of naturally occurring uranium isotopes: U-234/234U, U-235/235U and U-238/238U. All three isotopes present the same chemical, however, the radioactive effect varies among them. Primary exposure to uranium happens through consumption of food and drinking water, in particularly root crops and unwashed potatoes. People living next to uranium mines, as uranium processing and manufacturing facilities are more likely to have a higher rate of exposure to the substance. In terms of effects on human health, uranium causes kidneys damage.