How does your water become contaminated?
INTRODUCTION
A contaminant in general terms can be described as anything which affects the purity of a substance.
In order to understand what a contaminant is as it relates to water we must first have an understanding of what water is in its purest form.
What is water?
Water also referred to as H20 is a chemical that in its purest form is comprised of molecules consisting of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom. It can exist in three different states, as a gas, liquid or solid.
It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, transparent liquid, that forms lakes, rivers, seas and rain. It is one of the most plentiful compounds on earth and is essential to life as we know it.
Where does water come from?
Water lifecycle
The water cycle is the sum of all the processes involved in the continuous movement of water between the earth and the atmosphere via the three main steps which include evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/precipitation
As H20 falls to Earth in the form of rain, sleet or snow it makes its way into our soil, plants, trees, aquifers, lakes, rivers, and oceans and the life cycle of water starts all over again.
https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/freshwater/water-cycle
What is a contaminant?
As mentioned, water also referred to as H20 is a substance that in its purest form is comprised of molecules consisting of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, therefore a contaminant as it relates to water can be defined as anything other than water molecules that are present in a body of water.
Types of contaminants
Water contaminants can be divided into the following general categories, physical, chemical, biological and radiological
Physical contaminants primarily affect the appearance or other physical properties of water, an example of such is sediment suspended in the water of lakes, streams and rivers.
Chemical contaminants can be divided into two main categories, organic and inorganic.
Organic contaminants found in water can be defined as chemicals that are carbon-based, their presence can be the result of a natural occurrence or they can be of mad made origin and can be divided into three main categories, all of which have the potential to cause serious health issues
- Byproducts of Disinfection (BODs) are created during the disinfection process of water when chemicals such as chlorine come into contact with natural organic matter and synthetic organic compounds.
- Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs) are man-made chemicals typically originating from industries such as petroleum, plastics, chemical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural chemical industries.
- Natural Organic Matter (NOM) are naturally occurring trace organic compounds from decomposing plant and animal matter. These include such things as humic acids, fulvic acids, tannins, proteins, amino acids, algae secretions, and microorganisms and generally do not pose a health threat unless coming into contact with disinfectant results in the formation of BODs.
Inorganic contaminants found in water are chemicals that are non-carbon-based. As with organic compounds, their presence can be the result of a natural occurrence including contaminants such as arsenic, chromium, manganese, iron etc or they too can be of man-made origins such as perchlorate or nitrates which are caused by the interaction between nature and pollution.
Biological contaminants are living organisms in water and are often referred to as microbes or microbiological contaminants. Examples of such include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites.
Radioactive contaminants are chemical substances with an unbalanced number of protons and neutrons. These unstable atoms can emit ionising radiations. Examples of radiological contaminants include cesium, plutonium and uranium.
How do contaminants get into the water supply?
The water we use in our everyday lives is sourced from our aquifers, lakes, rivers and even seas and comes into contact with all manner of naturally occurring or man-made contaminants before reaching our taps in our homes or places of business or leisure.
Natural contamination can occur when soil and rocks consisting of chemicals and minerals such as arsenic, radon and uranium come into contact with water or due to contamination caused by wildlife or storm-water.
Contamination as a result of human activity can be caused by chemicals used in agriculture, manufacturing, overflows of sewers etc.
It is important to note that contamination can occur post-filtration due to infrastructure issues such as cracks in pipes and also can be created as an indirect unintended consequence of the chemicals used during the treatment process at the municipal level. The chemicals added during this process can create issues within the home plumbing system, corroding pipes, and causing them to leach dangerous chemicals hazardous to human health in the process.
IN CONCLUSION
It is important to understand that there are many different types of contaminants that exist in water and each one has its own unique set of characteristics and poses its own unique set of risks.
The source of your incoming water is irrelevant, whether your water comes from a private well or a municipal water supply there are no guarantees, and dangerous contaminants can be present.
Contaminants are mostly undetectable to the human senses, including contaminants which can cause serious health issues or even death and are often only detected after it is too late.
Therefore, it is very important to know what types of pollutants you have in your drinking water so that you can take proper action to protect you and your family from any potential health risks.
YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH