HEALTH IMPACTS: WATER POLLUTANTS
Physico-chemicals parameters and their significance
| Parameters | Health Hazards |
| Color | The presence of inorganic and organic impurities imparts colour to the water, decreasing consumer acceptance. Sometimes, the impurities may be toxic. |
| pH | A measure of relative acidity of the water. It is useful in assessing the corrosivity of water to plumbing. |
| Alkalinity | The amount of bicarbonate, the major anion in water, is related to pH and causes corrosion. |
| Acidity | Not a pollutant, in water it neutralises hydroxyl ions |
| Turbidity | A measure of clarity of water. If turbidity is high, there may be chances of water born diseases |
| Solids (dissolved, suspended, total) | These provide a measure of the suspended solids that can be separated with a filter and the dissolved salts that are present in water. |
| Conductivity | A measure of total dissolved minerals in water. A change in conductivity or unusual ratio of conductivity to hardness may signal presence of contaminants |
| Hardness | A measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium. Hardness is a measure of the capacity of water to precipitate soap. This is particularly important if water softening is considered |
| Dissolved Oxygen | This is a measure of dissolved oxygen in water. Decreased levels of dissolved oxygen in water affect the waterbodies |
| Chemical Oxygen Demand | Indicates the amount of O2(MAKE LOWERCASE) required to oxidise the carbonaceous matter. COD taste is widely employed as a means to measure the pollutional strength of domestic and industrial waste |
| Oil and Grease | |
| Bromide | Chlorination of water that contains bromide ion may produce bromate ion as an undesirable disinfection by-product. Bromate ion is a carcinogen and nephrotoxin |
| Chloride | An indicator ion that if found in elevated concentration, points to potential contamination from septic systems, fertilizer, landfills, or road salt |
| Fluoride | Excessive levels of fluoride causes fluorosis, a mottling of the surface of the teeth |
| Nitrate | Nitrate in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome in infants under six months old. Blue baby syndrome, or methemoglobinemia, are common symptoms of nitrate contamination. Nitrate contamination in drinking water may also increase cancer risk, because nitrate is endogenously reduced to nitrite and subsequent nitrosation reaction give rise to N- nitroso compounds; these compounds are highly carcinogenic and can act systematically |
| Nitrite | These serve as an indicator of the potential presence of other contaminants, such as pesticides or trace organic chemicals from septic system effluents |
| Phosphate | Excessive consumption of phosphorus may lead to osteoporosis and poor bone maintenance |
| Sulfate | Ingestion of water containing high levels of sulfate may be associated with Diarrhoea, and other gastrointestinal disorders. Of particular concern are groups in the general population (i.e. infants and transients) that may be at greater risk from the laxative effects of sulfate when they switch abruptly to drinking water with high sulfate concentrations |
| Calcium | Water with high calcium content is undesirable for various household uses such as washing, bathing and laundering, because of consumption of more soap and other cleaning agents |
| Magnesium | Mg has diuretic, cathartic and laxative effects if it is present in high concentrations |
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