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Diseases Caused by Water Pollution
Team AckoDec 11, 2024
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Water makes up about 60% of the human body on average. While a person can survive for weeks without food, they can typically only last a few days without water. This is because water plays such a vital role in our bodies.
It’s essential for lubricating joints, flushing out waste, and regulating body temperature. However, if the water we drink is contaminated, it can lead to serious health risks, including waterborne diseases. These illnesses can cause a range of painful symptoms, and in some cases, they can significantly impact a person’s quality of life or even be life-threatening.
Here are five diseases caused by water pollution that are most common and troublesome.
Contents
- Various Causes of Water Pollution
- Water Pollution Health Effects
- Water Pollution-Related Diseases
- Here is a table presenting bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases caused by water pollution:
- Disease-causing Water Pollutants: What Are They?
- Water Pollution Diseases: What Are the Risk Factors?
- Water Pollution: What Preventative Measures Should You Take?
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Various Causes of Water Pollution
When toxic materials—typically chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a lake, river, stream, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, the water quality deteriorates and becomes hazardous to people or the environment.
The following are a few of the various causes of water pollution in the world:
Agricultural: Water pollution is mostly caused by agriculture worldwide. It also plays a significant role in groundwater and river contamination. Animal manure from farms and livestock operations, fertilisers, and pesticides all wash nutrients and diseases like bacteria and viruses into our waterways every time it rains.
Sewage and wastewater: Wastewater is used water. It originates from commercial, industrial, and agricultural operations (metals, solvents, and hazardous sludge) as well as from our sinks, showers, and toilets. Wastewater and sewage contribute significantly to water pollution.
Radioactive substances:Any contamination that emits more radiation than the environment naturally releases is considered radioactive waste. It is produced by nuclear power plants, uranium mining, the manufacturing and testing of military hardware, and medical facilities and academic institutions that use radioactive materials for study and treatment.
Water Pollution Health Effects
Long-term health issues result from the diseases brought on by water contamination. Long-term exposure to tainted water can cause:
Chronic problems: liver failure, kidney damage, and even cancer brought on by harmful chemicals and heavy metals.
Reproductive problems: Chemicals in contaminated water can have an impact on reproductive health, leading to birth abnormalities and concerns with fertility.
Children and the elderly are more vulnerable: People under five and the elderly are more likely to experience serious complications from waterborne illnesses.
Water Pollution-Related Diseases
Here is a table presenting bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases caused by water pollution:
Type of Disease | Disease | Pathogen | Description |
| Bacterial Diseases | 1.Cholera | Vibrio cholerae | A severe diarrhoeal disease caused by contaminated water. |
| 2.Dysentery | Shigella | Causes bloody diarrhoea, often from drinking contaminated water. | |
| 3.Typhoid | Salmonella Typhi bacteria | It is usually spread through contaminated food or water. Once bacteria are ingested, they multiply and spread into the bloodstream. | |
| 4.Arsenicosis | Inorganic Arsenic | Arsenic is naturally present in the earth's crust and can seep into groundwater. It can also be introduced through industrial runoff. Some foods, like chicken, rice, fruit juice, and some fish, may contain arsenic. | |
| Viral Diseases | 5.Hepatitis A | Hepatitis A virus | A viral infection that affects the liver spreads through contaminated water. |
| 6.Rotavirus infection | Rotavirus | A common cause of severe diarrhoea in infants and young children. | |
| 7.Polio | Poliovirus | Poliovirus is highly contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact, usually through the mouth. It can enter the body through | |
| Parasitic Diseases | 8.Giardiasis | Giardia lamblia | A parasitic infection causing diarrhea and stomach cramps spreads through contaminated water. |
| 9.Amoebic dysentery | Entamoeba histolytica | A parasitic infection leads to severe diarrhoea and stomach pain, often from polluted water. |
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that this condition occurs worldwide. However, it is more common in underdeveloped countries with poor sanitary conditions and uncontrolled water quality.
Diarrhoea, weight loss, blood in the stool, and other complications are symptoms of Giardiasis that some people experience, whereas others do not acquire any signs.
Disease-causing Water Pollutants: What Are They?
Water pollutants generally fall into two categories:
Chemicals: A chemical can be organic or inorganic. These waste products are discharged from wastewater treatment plants and industrial effluents. Aquatic flora, fauna, and human health are threatened by inorganic pollutants such as sulphates, nitrates, mercury, cyanides, and phosphates.
They are highly carcinogenic, non-biodegradable, and mutagenic. Pesticides, fertilisers, agricultural runoff, and debris carried from the land into water bodies are organic pollutants.
Pathogen: Numerous outbreaks of cholera, dysentery and other diseases are caused by pathogens such as bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. These pathogens are primarily caused by agricultural waste disposed of in the water.
Water bodies are also affected by other contaminants, such as plastics, radioactive elements, and faecal waste, which are disposed of by industries and individuals. Oil spills can also pollute coastal waters.
Water Pollution Diseases: What Are the Risk Factors?
Risk factors caused by water pollution are as follows:
Every day, the water body becomes more contaminated with bacteria and chemicals. These contaminants can cause serious health problems. Polluted water causes diseases that affect infants, pregnant women, elderly people, and people with compromised immune systems due to AIDS or chemotherapy.
Radiation syndrome, cancer, and other diseases are caused by radioactive waste dumped in water bodies. When they break down in groundwater, alpha, beta, and gamma radiation are emitted by radionuclides. When ingested, alpha particles damage internal cells.
Waterborne bacterial infections often result in severe gastroenteritis. Neonates, abdominal cramps, and other symptoms may occur. Cancers of the lung, bladder, and heart can be caused by exposure to inorganic arsenic.
Additionally, severe DBP (Disinfection By-Products) exposure can lead to bladder, colon, or rectal cancers, blood cancers, and even brain cancers. Moreover, it reduces the birth weight of infants, shortens pregnancies, and causes short body structures.
Water Pollution: What Preventative Measures Should You Take?
The government must improve clean water and sanitation availability to curb diseases caused by water pollution. However, on an individual level, drinking fresh water and educating yourself about water treatment methods such as filtering and disinfection can prevent several water-borne infections.
Various diseases caused by water pollution can, however, be prevented in several ways:
Make sure you drink clean, fresh water that has been filtered.
It is imperative to maintain good hand hygiene.
Ensure that your food is adequately prepared and washed.
Make sure your food is not stale or unrefrigerated.
Use chemical methods like coagulation, reverse osmosis etc., to filter water.
Ensure that sewage waste is treated before it is disposed of in any water body.
Conclusion
Polluted water contains specific chemicals and pathogens that can lead to certain waterborne diseases. For a healthy, disease-free life, take the preventive measures mentioned above!
The number of waterborne diseases is on the rise. Maintaining a healthy diet, drinking clean water, and getting enough sleep are essential for staying fit.
An insurance plan offering comprehensive coverage will also provide much-needed financial and timely medical assistance in case of an unanticipated health scare. Take a look at ACKO's medical insurance plans for hassle-free coverage.
FAQs
What Are the Effects of Waterborne Diseases?
Many common symptoms of waterborne diseases include food poisoning, diarrhoea, weak muscles, abdominal cramps, and fatigue. It is advised to rehydrate with water or electrolytes if you experience these symptoms.
What Are the Ways in Which Diseases Spread Through Water?
The two main places where bacteria grow and reside are stagnant water and contaminated water with human and animal faeces. Diarrhoea and other symptoms of waterborne diseases can be caused when humans drink, bathe, wash clothes, and cook with this water.
What Are Some Tips for the Prevention of Water-Based Diseases?
It is essential to wash your hands regularly, drink clean water, use detergent to clean toilets, etc. One must also avoid using public restrooms, consume hot meals, eat in clean restaurants, and avoid ingesting water from pools and lakes to prevent water-based infections.
What Are the Most Common Waterborne Diseases in India?
Shigella, Typhoid, Dysentery, Malaria, Amoebiasis, Cholera, Giardia and Hepatitis A are water-borne diseases most commonly found in India.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. It is based on several secondary sources on the internet. As this content piece is not vetted by a medical professional, please consult a doctor before making any health-related decisions.
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