Free Essay Sample: Hazardous Drinking Water Contaminants and Their Health Effects

What are the hazardous substances that may be found in drinking water and their impacts on our health?

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Several organised and microbial contaminants are found in water and cannot be readily detected by the human senses. Some of these substances are hazardous and may have a severe impact on human health. The common elements include arsenic, ammonia, aluminium, radium, silver, mercury, lead, copper, barium, nitrates, phosphates, percolates, bacteria and viruses, chlorine, iron peroxide, cadmium and chromium among other contaminants (Sharma & Sanghi, 2012). The above can be grouped into microorganisms such as bacteria and virus, nitrates, and nitrites, which re from chemical fertilizers, human and animal waste, heavy metals such as copper lead and mercury, and organic chemicals such as pesticides, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and sealants among others. Also, in the category includes radionuclides such as uranium radium and fluorides.

The impacts of these contaminants are categorized into two mainly acute and chronic effects. Acute effects typically occur within hours or even days after taking the contaminated water. Chronic effects come when the levels of the contaminants accumulate to higher the standards set. Chronic illnesses are often caused by solvents such as disinfection by-products, pesticides, radionuclides, solutions, and minerals. Some of the health effects would include reproductive problems, kidney problems, impairment of eyes, skeletal fluorosis, results of the nervous and circulatory system, anaemia intestinal damage, and alteration of other normal body functions.

Describe how water is made safe for human consumption

There are various ways of water treatment to make it safe for human consumption. The first step in the treatment of water includes coagulation and flocculation. In this step, chemicals that have positive charges are added into the water to be treated (. The positive charges neutralize the negative charges in the water contained in the dirt and other particles dissolved in the water. During this stage, particles bind and form larger molecules, which are called floc. The second process is sedimentation, during which the floc settles at the bottom of the supply system because of its weight. The third step is filtration in which the clear water passes filters that may be made up of sand, gravel, or even charcoal. During this stage, dissolved participles such as dust, bacterial, chemicals, and virus are removed. The last step of water treatment is the disinfection in which disinfectants are added into the water. The standard chemicals used include chlorine and chloramine, responsible for killing the remaining parasites, the virus is, and bacteria.

Explain how historically significant fatal air pollution episodes (characterized by extreme increases in air pollution) lead to an increase in mortality

Numerous time-series studies have indicated an association between particulate matter from pollution and daily mortality. A classic example is the 1952 air pollution in London, showing a strong correlation between mortality and air pollution. A meta-analysis study of the relationship between short term mortality and a PM10 gave a p-value of p<001(Nawrot et al., 2007). Specifically, an estimated 59.6 million deaths are associated with all causes of the pollution, 20.1 million deaths are from cardiovascular diseases, and another 5.6 million deaths from respiratory diseases due to infection in Europe's affected areas. In 1948 in Donora, Pennsylvania, a deadly industrial smog caused about 40 instant fatalities and over 7000 other problems, especially cardiovascular issues associated with the pollution (Polivka, 2018). A statistic done in 2004 indicated about 1.6 million deaths related to indoor pollution, such as heating and cooking with biomass fuel (Mosley, 2014).

Describe how greenhouse gases contribute to the greenhouse effect

Some of the gases termed as greenhouse gases create a greenhouse-like environment for the earth, where they create a glass-like blockage on the upper atmosphere. This blockage allows the sun's rays to penetrate the earth’s atmosphere but does not allow heat from the earth’s surface to escape to space. Therefore, heat concentration increases in the earth’s atmosphere causing warming effects and climate changes. Some of these gases include water vapour, carbon IV oxide, nitrous oxides, chlorofluorocarbons, and methane. Explain the term "global warming" and present arguments favouring and against the proposition that global warming has occurred during the past century. What environmental outcomes have been attributed to global warming?

Global warming is defined as an average increase in the earth’s atmosphere temperatures. It is caused by increased heating of the earth’s surface, and heat from the ground cannot be radiated (Deffenbaugh, & Burke, 2019). Global warming has occurred in the past century due to the significant increase in industrialization and machination. In the 20th century, there have been recorded high levels of manufacturing, especially during the world war, during which several industries were created all over the world. These released the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and therefore increased the rates of global warming.

However, industrialization has been there ever seen in the 17th century during the Roman Empire and significantly impacted global warming. The environmental effects of global warming are that some regions become warmer while others become wetter. Polar icebergs may melt, causing a rise in sea level. When water is warmed, it also expands and increases; therefore, raising sea level. It also alters with the ecosystem in that it may cause the proliferation of some plants which are not beneficial.

References

Diffenbaugh, N. S., & Burke, M. (2019). Global warming has increased global economic inequality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(20), 9808-9813.

Mosley, S. (2014). Environmental history of air pollution and protection. The Basic Environmental History (pp. 143-169). Springer, Cham.

Nawrot, T. S., Torfs, R., Fierens, F., De Henauw, S., Holt, P. H., Van Kersschaever, G., ... & Nemery, B. (2007). Stronger associations between daily mortality and fine particulate air pollution in summer than in winter: evidence from a heavily polluted region in Western Europe. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 61(2), 146-149.

Polivka, B. J. (2018). The Great London Smog of 1952. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 118(4), 57-61.

Sharma, S. K., & Sanghi, R. (Eds.). (2012). Advances in water treatment and pollution prevention. Springer Science & Business Media.