Helena Joyce
Water pollution is a pressing issue that affects the lives of millions of people worldwide. According to a study published in The Lancet, contaminated water caused approximately 1.8 million deaths in 2015. The presence of contaminants in water can lead to both acute and chronic health effects, with microbes such as bacteria and viruses being the primary culprits. While most people's immune systems can fight off these microbial contaminants, high levels of exposure can cause illness and even prove fatal for individuals with weakened immune systems. Water pollution is caused by various factors, including industrial and municipal wastewater, agricultural runoff, and improper disposal of chemicals. Common water pollutants include heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine disruptors. These contaminants can have detrimental effects on aquatic life and accumulate in the food chain, posing risks to human health. Addressing water pollution requires collective efforts to reduce, treat, and monitor contaminants, ensuring safe and accessible drinking water for all.
Common Water Pollutants and their Characteristics
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Physical Contaminants | Sediment or organic material suspended in the water of lakes, rivers, and streams from soil erosion |
| Chemical Contaminants | Nitrogen, bleach, salts, pesticides, metals, toxins produced by bacteria, and human or animal drugs |
| Biological Contaminants | Bacteria, viruses, protozoa, parasites |
| Radiological Contaminants | Chemical elements with an unbalanced number of protons and neutrons resulting in unstable atoms that can emit ionizing radiation |
| Emerging Contaminants | Pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PCPs), and endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) |
| Contaminants from Agricultural Activities | Pesticides, fertilizers |
| Contaminants from Industrial Activities | Chemicals, heavy metals, wastewater |
| Other Common Contaminants | Lead, arsenic, uranium, fracking fluids, chlorinated disinfection byproducts, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) |
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What You'll Learn
Industrial and municipal wastewater
Industrial Wastewater
Industrial wastewater contains specific and readily identifiable chemical compounds, depending on the nature of the industrial process. For example, waste from agricultural sites, mines, and manufacturing plants can contain toxic chemicals that not only make water unsafe for human consumption but also raise the temperature of freshwater systems, making them uninhabitable for aquatic organisms. Industrial sewage may also contain higher concentrations of suspended solids than domestic sewage, which can increase the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and deplete the water's oxygen, creating anaerobic conditions.
Municipal Wastewater
Municipal wastewater often contains high concentrations of organic carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen, and may also include pesticides, toxic chemicals, salts, inorganic solids (e.g. silt), and pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Sewage is a primary source of pathogenic organisms, oxygen-demanding wastes, and plant nutrients. Personal care products, such as detergents, soaps, and shampoos, as well as pharmaceuticals and hormones, can also function as endocrine disruptors for aquatic species.
Treatment of Wastewater
Wastewater treatment plants aim to reduce the concentration of pollutants before discharging the treated water back into waterways. However, not all plants effectively treat all types of pollutants, and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) can occur due to various factors, including equipment failures, improper maintenance, broken pipes, or blockages. More than 80% of the world's wastewater is estimated to flow back into the environment without proper treatment, contributing to water pollution.
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Microbes and microbial contaminants
Microbial contaminants are a significant concern in water pollution. These contaminants include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause various waterborne diseases. Escherichia coli (E. coli), Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella, hepatitis A and E viruses, rotavirus, Giardia, Entamoeba, and parasitic worms such as Ascaris lumbricoides are some examples of pathogenic microbes found in contaminated water. These microbes are transmitted through the faecal-oral route, causing symptoms like diarrhoea, fever, and body aches.
Water sources can become contaminated with microbial pollutants through various means, including sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial wastewater. In developing countries, limited access to clean water and inadequate sanitation exacerbate the problem. Even in developed nations, accidental or illegal releases from sewage treatment facilities and runoff from farms and urban areas contribute to water pollution.
The presence of microbial contaminants in water can have acute and chronic health effects on humans. Acute effects occur within hours or days of consuming contaminated water and can lead to illnesses such as cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Most people's immune systems can fight off these microbes, but they can be dangerous or deadly for individuals with weakened immune systems. Chronic effects, on the other hand, occur after long-term exposure to contaminant levels above safety standards.
To combat microbial water pollution, various treatment methods are employed. These include using disinfectants like ozone or ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms. Ozone, while effective, can irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Ultraviolet light, on the other hand, damages the genetic components of microbes and has the added benefit of inactivating pathogenic microbes without leaving residuals or affecting water minerals.
Additionally, maintaining proper sanitation practices and reducing runoff from farms and urban areas can help prevent microbial water pollution. Public health agencies and government bodies also play a role in monitoring and addressing emerging microbial contaminants in water sources.
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Groundwater contamination
Groundwater is a valuable resource that provides drinking water to millions of people worldwide. However, it is susceptible to contamination by various human-induced and natural factors, which can render it unsafe and unfit for human use. Groundwater contamination occurs when pollutants such as chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, road salts, and toxic substances find their way into the groundwater. This can happen through various means, including:
- Leaking storage tanks: Over time, storage tanks can corrode, crack, and leak, releasing contaminants like gasoline, oil, and chemicals into the groundwater.
- Improper septic systems: Septic systems that are improperly designed, located, constructed, or maintained can leak bacteria, viruses, household chemicals, and other contaminants into the groundwater.
- Hazardous waste sites: Abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites can contain barrels or containers filled with hazardous materials. If these containers leak, the contaminants can seep through the soil and reach groundwater sources.
- Landfills: Landfills are meant to have a protective bottom layer to prevent contaminants from leaching into the water. However, if this layer is missing or damaged, contaminants such as car battery acid, paint, and household cleaners can contaminate groundwater.
- Industrial discharges and urban activities: Industrial activities and urban development can release chemicals, heavy metals, and other toxic substances into the environment, which can eventually find their way into groundwater supplies.
- Agricultural practices: Pesticides, fertilizers, and other agricultural chemicals can seep into groundwater over time, impacting both human and wildlife health.
It is important to note that contaminated groundwater can also spread pollution to other water sources, such as streams, lakes, and oceans. Therefore, preventing groundwater contamination is crucial to protect this valuable resource and ensure safe drinking water for communities worldwide.
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Emerging contaminants
Pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PCPs), and endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are among the prime examples of emerging contaminants. Up to 90% of oral drugs pass through the human body and end up in the water supply. Personal care products such as soaps, cosmetics, and fragrances also find their way into our water. Endocrine disruptors are substances that interfere with the function of hormones in the body. Trace amounts of these contaminants have been found in water across the country and are causing concern for their potential impact on aquatic life.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to improve its understanding of several emerging contaminants, including perchlorate, pharmaceuticals, PCPs, and EDCs. With advances in testing and health research, new potential dangers in drinking water are being discovered. In many cases, the possible harms are not yet fully known, and home testing for many of these newly discovered threats does not yet exist.
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Pharmaceuticals
Human bodies only metabolize a fraction of the drugs we swallow, and the remainder is excreted in urine or feces. Drugs that are applied as creams or lotions can also contribute to pharmaceutical water pollution when they are washed off. This means that pharmaceuticals can enter the water supply through wastewater leaving homes and entering sewage treatment plants. However, many plants do not routinely remove pharmaceuticals from water, and they can be detected in water miles downstream from wastewater treatment plants.
Drug manufacturing plants can also be a significant source of pharmaceutical water pollution. A U.S. Geological Survey study found contamination levels downstream from two drug manufacturing plants in New York State that were 10 to 1,000 times higher than those at comparable facilities around the country. Effluents from two wastewater treatment plants that received discharge from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities had 10 to 1,000 times higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals than those from 24 plants across the U.S. that did not receive such discharge.
Agriculture is another major source of pharmaceutical water pollution. The hormones and antibiotics fed to animals in large-scale poultry and livestock operations can leach into groundwater or get into waterways. A 1999-2000 U.S. Geological Survey study found measurable amounts of one or more medications in 80% of water samples drawn from a network of 139 streams in 30 states. Similarly, for streams receiving runoff from animal-feeding operations, pharmaceuticals such as acetaminophen, caffeine, cotinine, diphenhydramine, and carbamazepine have been found in USGS studies.
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Frequently asked questions
Water pollutants can be physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substances. Some of the most common water pollutants include:
- Bacteria and viruses
- Sediment or organic material
- Nitrogen, bleach, salts, pesticides, metals, and toxins
- Pharmaceuticals and personal care products
- Industrial and municipal wastewater
- Plastic and other non-biodegradable items
- Oil, antifreeze, and coolant
- Pesticides and herbicides
These pollutants can have harmful effects on both human health and the environment, and it is important to take steps to reduce and treat water pollution.
Water pollution can have both acute and chronic effects on human health. Acute effects occur within hours or days of consuming a contaminant and can include illness or even death. Chronic effects occur after consuming a contaminant at levels over safety standards over many years. Contaminants such as lead, arsenic, and nitrates are known or suspected carcinogens, and can have neurological and other health impacts.
Water pollution can reduce oxygen levels in water bodies, creating "dead zones" where plants and animals are suffocated and water is devoid of life. It can also introduce toxins that accumulate in the food chain, affecting the health and reproduction of aquatic life.
There are several ways to reduce water pollution, including:
- Reducing plastic consumption and properly disposing of non-biodegradable items
- Maintaining vehicles to prevent leaks of oil, antifreeze, and coolant
- Reducing pesticide and herbicide use
- Properly disposing of chemical cleaners and other toxic substances
- Supporting initiatives to upgrade drinking water infrastructure and strengthen standards
