The Important Role Water Plays in our Daily Lives
Introduction
What is Water?
Water also referred to by its chemical symbol H20 is an inorganic chemical compound composed of molecules that are comprised of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom
Water in its purest form is a liquid that is transparent, colourless, odourless and tasteless.
It exists and fluctuates between three different states, as a gas, liquid or solid when exposed to changes in atmospheric temperature.
We are surrounded by water, it covers an estimated 70% of the Earth's surface, which amounts to roughly 1.386 billion cubic kilometres (333 million cubic miles)
96% of all water on earth is in our oceans, seas and bays, 1.74% in ice caps, glaciers & permanent snow, 1.69% in groundwater with the remaining 0.03% found in soil moisture, ground ice & permafrost, lakes, the atmosphere, swamp water, rivers and biological water (in animals and humans).
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/how-much-water-there-earth
Water is the most abundant inorganic substance on earth, it is so plentiful that it is easy to take its existence for granted and forget the fact that as of this moment in time, Earth is the only known planet or moon to have liquid water on its surface on a consistent basis and in a stable manner.
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/et-oceans.html
Water is often referred to as a universal solvent because it is capable of dissolving almost anything it encounters, whilst it cannot dissolve everything, it does dissolve more substances than any other liquid due to the way the molecules it is comprised of are bonded together.
Water molecules have polarity, meaning a positive charge on one side and a negative charge on the other. The two hydrogen atoms on one side of the molecule create a positive charge whilst the oxygen atom on the other side creates a negative one.
When water encounters another substance, the positively charged side of the water molecules are attracted to the negatively charged ions in the substance, whereas the negatively charged side of the water molecules are attracted to the positively charges ions. This makes water an amazing solvent as the polarity in water molecules causes them to surround and interact with the ions in a substance, breaking it down and dissolving it in the process.
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-universal-solvent
Whilst the exact origins of Water on Earth (Link to my origins of Water on Earth Blog) is s a hotly debated topic amongst the scientific community, there are no such arguments over the life cycle of water on earth or the important role it plays in our everyday lives.
The Important Role Water Plays in Our Daily Lives
Water is essential for life and plays an important role in every aspect of our day-to-day lives, the use of such can be broadly categorised according to direct and indirect use instances.
When we think of the importance of water in our everyday lives, we may only think of the direct use cases, direct usage of water is more obvious, and would include its utilization for drinking, cooking, cleaning etc, however, comprises only a small percentage of the water used globally on any given day.
Although indirect usage of water far outweighs direct usage, it is less obvious and may be less immediately apparent than direct usage. For example, indirect uses include its use in the various processes involved in industry, agriculture and manufacturing.
The importance of Water in Direct ways
Importance of Water to All Living Organisms
Liquid water is deemed so vital to life on Earth as we know it that Scientists believe that life existing on another planet is impossible without it. As a consequence, organizations like NASA focus their efforts on searching for the existence of life on other worlds by looking for signs of liquid water.
All living organisms require water for survival, from Nanoarchaeum (the smallest known entity to qualify as an "organism") to larger organisms such as human beings.
All organisms are separated from the outside world by a semi-permeable membrane keeping them alive, as it allows for the intake of important matter required for the production of energy, whilst blocking out toxic substances.
The polarity of water, and its ability to act as a solvent and flow ensures it plays an essential role in many chemical reactions, dissolving and transferring substances into and out of cells. As a result, it is a vital component of living organisms.
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-universal-solvent
Importance of Water to Human Beings
The human body is composed of around 60% water, a person can survive roughly 3 days without it, whereas without food one could survive between 1 to 3 months.
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body
Water is considered to be one of the six essential nutrients in addition to protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, not only is water vital to human survival, but being adequately hydrated is essential to good health in general.
Water is necessary for maintaining hydration and has many important roles within the human body assisting in all manner of ways.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326132
When water intake is insufficient all manner of issues are created within the human body, from the more obvious to the less obvious which will be discussed in detail below.
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when your body lacks adequate water.
Since water is so vital for many bodily functions, dehydration can be highly detrimental. In extreme cases, severe dehydration may result in several severe complications, including but not limited to swelling in your brain, kidney failure, and seizures.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dehydrated-skin#contacting-a-doctor
In order to prevent dehydration from occurring it is essential to replenish your body's water levels by drinking enough of it to counterbalance any loss from sweating, urinating, and going to the bathroom.
Body Temperature
Drinking enough water is vital for regulating your body temperature.
During physical activity or when exposed to hot temperatures, you lose water through sweat. Sweating keeps you cool, but if the water loss is not replaced your body temperature will rise which can lead to dehydration resulting in the loss of electrolytes and plasma. Electrolytes and plasma play major roles within the body in ensuring that water and nutrients are directed where they are needed the most, as well as maintaining a balanced amount of fluids within cells, and removal of waste.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320226
Energy
Drinking water can activate your metabolism, increasing your energy levels in the process. In one study, participants consumed 500 millilitres of water, and sixty minutes after drinking the water, energy expenditure increased by 30% in men and 30% in women.
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/88/12/6015/2661518
Physical Performance
If sweating excessively, ensure to drink a sufficient amount of water to prevent dehydration.
Being adequately hydrated during physical activity maximizes physical performance
Athletes can lose up to 6 - 10 per cent of their body weight through sweating. It has been reported that a body water deficit of just 2 per cent can reduce athletic performance and losing 5% of body weight or more during physical activities can lower the capability for work by up to 30%.
https://sportscardiologybc.org/the-effects-of-hydration-on-athletic-performance/
When exercising without enough hydration, medical conditions such as decreased blood pressure and hyperthermia can occur. Severe dehydration can result in seizures and even be deadly.
Lubrication
Drinking water assists in cushioning and lubricating your tissues, spinal cord, and joints.
For example, the synovial fluid in your body is made up primarily of water, its main purpose is to reduce friction between the cartilage of synovial joints while they are in motion.
When your body is dehydrated it wreaks havoc on your joints, ensuring adequate hydration levels not only makes exercise more enjoyable but helps combat the development of diseases like arthritis.
Saliva
Saliva is a clear liquid produced in your mouth constantly, 24 hours a day. It is made of 99% water, in addition to digestive enzymes, uric acid, electrolytes, mucus-forming proteins, and cholesterol. It is essential for breaking down solid foods and keeping your mouth healthy. In order to produce enough saliva, regular fluid intake is required.
https://www.eufic.org/en/healthy-living/article/saliva-more-than-just-water-in-your-mouth
Digestion & Nutrient Absorption
According to the Cleveland clinic, water plays an important role in the digestive system
Your digestive system is uniquely constructed to extract nutrients and energy from the food and water you consume and to dispose of the leftover waste.
After food and liquid leave the stomach, nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals dissolved in water enter the bloodstream through the small intestine and are transported to the rest of the body for use, with the remaining water absorbed into the large intestine for stool formation and to combat against constipation.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/7041-digestive-system
Circulation
Consuming your recommended amount of water each day helps improve blood oxygen circulation. Oxygen is essential to the functioning of all systems within our body, as it is used to create energy.
When dehydrated your blood becomes thicker as it retains more sodium which makes it harder for blood to circulate throughout your body affecting its ability to efficiently deliver the important nutrients and oxygen your body needs for survival. Increasing water intake ensures your heart pumps more freely, increasing blood flow, and in the process facilitating the efficient delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the cells which has a positive impact on overall health.
https://www.healthline.com/health/dehydration-and-blood-pressure#how-is-blood-pressure-affected
Immunity
Water helps you absorb important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your food, which will increase your chances of staying healthy.
As water intake plays an important role in the circulation of blood and oxygen throughout the body and the absorption of macro and micronutrients, ensuring adequate intake increases your likelihood of staying healthy.
Good hydration has been shown to combat many medical issues such as kidney stones, constipation, urinary tract infection, exercise-induced asthma, hypertension etc
https://ssihi.uci.edu/tip/hydration-for-immune-system/
Removal of Toxic Waste
Your body relies heavily on the water in the removal process of waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation.
Sweat glands assist in the elimination of excess micronutrients, metabolic waste, and toxic material from the body through perspiration, whereas the kidneys filter out waste through urination.
Adequate water intake ensures all processes work more efficiently, for example, amongst other issues, insufficient levels of water in the body can lead to constipation or the development of kidney stones.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-detox-your-body#3.-Drink-more-water
Cognitive function
Proper hydration improves cognitive function as not drinking enough water has been shown to negatively impact focus, alertness and short-term memory.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22855911/
Mood
Multiple studies point to a link between insufficient water consumption and an effect on overall mood, with dehydration leading to fatigue, confusion and anxiety.
This would stand to reason when one considers the fact that the human brain is comprised of around 75% water.
Dehydration affects circulation, which results in fewer nutrients and oxygen being delivered throughout your body, including your brain.
A 2018 study conducted on 3,000 adults, found that those who drank less water had an increased risk of anxiety and depression, whereas those who drank more water were at a lower risk of suffering from anxiety and depression.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6147771/
Weight Loss
Research has suggested a correlation between water consumption and body fat and weight loss for various reasons, from the more obvious reasons to the more complex ones.
Thirst caused by mild dehydration is often mistaken for hunger, and the bodies hydration levels may be low as opposed to the body being in a caloric deficit, with clinical studies showing 37% of people mistake thirst for hunger, drinking water in such instances may decrease or eliminate hunger thus promoting weight loss in the process as water has zero calories.
https://pkdcure.org/hunger-vs-thirst/
Drinking water is also known to promote satiety, it passes through the body quickly, stretching the stomach, signalling to your brain that it is full, and reducing or eliminating hunger cravings in the process.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/can-you-lose-weight-by-drinking-water/
There are 210 calories in a 500ml bottle of coke, and 236 calories in a bottle of pure orange juice, whilst water contains zero calories. If water is utilized as a healthy substitute for more calorie-laden alternatives such as juice or soda it can dramatically decrease your overall liquid calorie intake, aiding weight loss in the process.
A 2012 study concluded that dehydration negatively impacted memory, perception, attention and concentration, as well as caused a decline in mood.
https://kb.gcsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=thecorinthian
Studies have also shown that dehydration leads to an increase in cortisol production, which is a stress hormone.
Therefore, it could be deduced that an increase in your water intake can aid in clarity of thought, an increase in energy levels and stress reduction thus affecting your ability to make smarter lifestyle choices, whilst providing you with the energy and motivation to work out and cook at home versus eating an unhealthy takeaway.
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/water-stress-reduction
In a 2003 study featured in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, an increase of 30% in the metabolic rate of 14 healthy adults was observed when they drank 500 ml of water. Drinking cold water appears to boost thermogenesis, or heat production, in the body as in order to raise the fluid to body temperature, your body will expend energy, and the more energy your body expends, the faster your metabolism works.
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/88/12/6015/2661518?login=false
According to a 2016 review of animal studies, it was deduced that mild dehydration could cause hormonal changes within the body, which could cause a decrease in lipolysis, which is a process in which fat in the body is used as an energy source. As a result, it was theorised that an increase in water intake may have the opposite effect and increase lipolysis. Another possible theory posed was that the expansion of cell volume created by water intake could play a role in fat metabolism. However, it is important to note that such findings are as of this moment in time theories, unproven among human subjects.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4901052/
Anti-ageing
The results of a 2015 study seemed to confirm that high water consumption positively affected skin physiology as expressed by its hydration and biomechanical behaviour.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4529263/
Collagen, a type of protein, is an important component of bones, skin, hair, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Collagen helps keep our skin looking firm and youthful, preventing it from sagging.
Water accounts for about 60 per cent of Collagen, given the high content of water in collagen, it is no surprise that its reduction can have dramatic effects.
In a study, dropping the humidity from 95 to 5 per cent causes collagen molecules to reduce in length by 1.3 per cent and fibrils by 2.5 per cent, nearly drying out the collagen entirely.
Despite its minor alteration in length, an immense tensile force of 100 megapascals was produced, 300 times more than what contractile muscles generally produce.
Even though the experiment was conducted in a humidity chamber which created an environment that cannot possibly naturally occur in a living body, it still revealed that collagen when dehydrated is able to become strong enough, even when existing under biological conditions, to produce forces as powerful as human muscles.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150126125011.htm
Whilst adequate water intake alone is not enough to combat the ageing process as other factors such as your genes, sun protection and overall lifestyle choices play an important role, it could be a key factor.
Sanitation
Access to clean water is a basic human right and one which may be taken for granted by people living in developed nations.
It is important for governments, organizations, and individuals to work together to ensure that everyone has access to safe and clean water. This includes providing infrastructure to ensure that clean water is readily available, as well as education and resources to help people understand the importance of proper hygiene and how to practice it.
These practices can help reduce the risk of waterborne diseases and other illnesses and improve the overall health and well-being of communities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), clean water and sanitation are essential for maintaining good hygiene and preventing the spread of disease. Proper sanitation practices, such as handwashing with soap and clean water, can help reduce the transmission of illnesses and improve overall health.
Lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities for use in personal hygiene practices, cleaning one's environment, and preparation and cooking of food and drinks etc can lead to a range of health problems, including diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases.
According to the World Health Organization, 2.1 billion people globally do not have access to safe drinking water at home, using a drinking water source contaminated with faeces, whilst 4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services.
An estimated 10% of the world’s population is believed to consume food that has been irrigated with the use of wastewater.
These are truly staggering figures when one considers that poor water quality and access to clean water are responsible for an estimated 829 000 deaths each year in low and middle-income countries, 485 000 people dying from diarrhoeal deaths.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sanitation
The Importance of Water in Indirect Ways
Overall, clean water and proper sanitation are crucial for promoting good health and reducing the risk of disease transmission, however, there are also important economic factors to consider.
Investing in clean water and proper sanitation can have significant economic and social benefits. For example, every $1 invested in water and sanitation can generate an average of $4.3 in economic returns.
Water used in direct-use instances accounts for only a small percentage of the water used on Earth on any given day, water plays a vital role in many indirect ways.
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/other/index.html
Agriculture
Water is essential for irrigation; irrigated agriculture represents 20 per cent of the total cultivated land and contributes 40 per cent of the total food produced worldwide. Irrigated agriculture is estimated to be twice as productive as its rainfed equivalent. Without sufficient water, livestock and crops would wilt and die, leading to food shortages and potentially even famine.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water-in-agriculture
Energy production
Energy and water supplies are crucial to both human and economic development.
The two resources are inextricably linked, large quantities of water are required in the production of energy for a range of uses, such as powering hydroelectricity, cooling thermal power plants, and extracting and refining fuels, conversely, water needs energy for its extraction, treatment and transportation. Both energy and water are used in the production of crops which are utilized to create energy through biofuels.
44% of global water use is estimated to be used for energy production.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718339184
Industrial processes
Water is used in a variety of industrial processes, including manufacturing, mining, refining, as a cooling agent with approximately 19 percent of all total water withdrawals being used for such
https://ourworldindata.org/water-use-stress#freshwater-use-in-industry
Transportation
Waterways, such as rivers, canals and seas have been used for millennia to transport goods and people and it is no different nowadays. The world's economy is fuelled by resources such as coal, oil and gas carried by ships.
In 2020, the estimated amount of coal and oil shipped through waterways was 1.2 and 1.8 million metric tons, respectively, with around 80 per cent of all goods transported by sea.
Transportation via water and container ships offers numerous advantages over other modes of freight transport as they have a vast capacity which makes them more economical and suitable for more over-sized heavier items, in addition to being more environmentally friendly.
In 2020, even though around 80 per cent of all goods were transported by sea, it only accounted for 11 percent of global transportation emissions.
https://www.statista.com/topics/2251/water-transportation-industry/#topicOverview
Environmental regulation
Water plays a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate and weather patterns in a process known as the water cycle (also known as the Hydrological cycle). It helps to cool the planet, absorb carbon dioxide, distributing heat and moisture around the globe, driving weather systems whilst maintain biodiversity.
https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/climate.html
Recreational activities
Water is also an important resource for recreational activities, many people enjoy spending time near bodies of water, whether it be the ocean, a lake, or a river, for a variety of recreational activities. Swimming, boating, and fishing are just a few examples of the many ways that people enjoy water for recreational purposes.
Whilst it is difficult to provide specific statistics on the use of water for recreational activities, as data on this topic varies depending on the location and the specific activity being considered there is no doubting that water is a vital resource for many recreational activities, and it is just another reason as to why it is important to protect and preserve water sources for future generations to enjoy.
Conclusion
Overall, water is a vital resource used for a wide range of purposes and plays a crucial role in the survival and well-being of life as we know it on planet Earth,
Without access to clean, safe water, it would be difficult for humans and other living things to thrive. That's why it is so important to protect and preserve this vital resource for future generations.
Water quality should never be taken for granted, knowing the quality of the water that you drink and use in your home is important as even pre-treated water coming from the municipal water supply system can contain a variety of contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and minerals, that can have negative effects on your health if ingested or used for cooking or cleaning.
Most water contaminants are invisible to the human senses, you cannot see, taste or smell them.
There are ways to detect the presence of these invisible contaminants in your water, one way is to have your water tested by a laboratory or water testing facility. These facilities have specialized equipment and techniques that can detect the presence of various contaminants in your water.
Overall, it is important to be aware that water contaminants may not always be visible to the human senses and to take steps to ensure that your water is safe to drink and use by speaking to an expert.
A water filtration system can help to remove contaminants from your water, making it safer to drink and use in your home.
In addition to improving the safety of your water, a water filtration system can also improve the taste and smell of your water. This can be especially important if your water has an unpleasant taste or odour due to the presence of contaminants.
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