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In previous blogs, weҶe talked about theimportance of water quality for the survival of crucial ecosystems. This time, we wanted to spotlight the ways in which water quality impacts human health and, perhaps more importantly, the dangers of pollution. After all, we make up a part of those ecosystems which we often find too easy to sweep under the rug. Without the continued health of our environments and life forms, things can get pretty difficult for us humans who rely on these environments. First, letҳ look at the key causes of water pollution to understand what, in turn, can impact human health. Causes of water pollution Water pollution that impacts human health can be caused by both unnatural (man-made) and natural means. Man-made pollution is caused by: Sewage & waste disposal (including animal waste) Agricultural runoff Urban runoff Fuel & chemical spillages Plastic waste Radioactive waste These pollutants can contaminate water directly or by seeping into groundwater through soil, eventually making its way tobodies of water. As for natural causes, naturally-occuring algae and pathogens can cause health issues נbut itҳ worth keeping in mind that the presence oftoxic algae can actually be a result of man-made contaminants. Illnesses caused by water pollution If we want to know the impacts of water pollution on human health, we unfortunately neednҴ look very far. Around the world, we see a long list of water-related diseases and illnesses, including: Cholera Dysentery Hepatitis A Typhoid Polio Parasitic illnesses like schistosomiasis Head to theEnvironmental Pollution Centers for a more comprehensive list. The illnesses caused by water pollution can of course vary in severity. Most commonly, contaminated water can cause rashes, earaches, eye infections, and diarrhoea. Even then, though, the severity of illness is dependent upon the local healthcare system and infrastructure (like availability of clean water to wash hands and replenish lost body fluids with). According toWHO, an estimated 829,000 people die each year from diarrhoea as a result of unsafe drinking-water. In the UK, we are lucky enough to have a healthcare system that means very few people die as a result of diarrhoea or related complications. Over the last few years, the frequency of gastrointestinal issues like gastroenteritis has increased due to the discharge of sewage into the sea. If we arenҴ careful, such instances could become the norm. Socioeconomic impacts As we touched on above, there are socioeconomic factors that impact the severity of water-related illnesses. In fact, if safe drinking water and sanitation services were available across the world, the deaths of an estimated297,000 children aged under 5 years could be avoided each year. An inexcusable proportion of illnesses caused by water quality occur inlow-income countries and communities, which then serves to keep the poor in poverty. When people have to travel many miles a day just to reach a clean(er) water source, their time is taken up by survival ֠and they arenҴ granted the ability to thrive. How can one be productive when finding clean water is a matter of life and death? These journeys themselves have effects on the health of the people undertaking them ֠because of musculoskeletal risks or dehydration from the journey itself. How water-related illnesses spread The illnesses can impact us both directly and indirectly: Directly נvia ingestion or bathing in polluted waters Indirectly נvia consumption of foodstuffs that use contaminated water or eating fish/animals that feed on the water Fish are a particular hazard when it comes to ingesting pollutants as some chemicals Ѽstrong>bioaccumulateҠinside of them. When us humans eat them ֠or, indeed, animals that eat the fish ֠we can unwittingly consume those chemicals. Antimicrobial resistance In the long term, water pollution with antibiotics increases the presence of Ѳesistance genesҮ The United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations Environment Programme found that34.8 billion daily doses of antibiotics were consumed in 2015. Of those, up to 90% were excreted into the environment as active substances. At the same time, antibiotic-resistant infections are increasing. Read about howwater pollution could spark another pandemic here. How does water quality affect human health? As weҶe seen, poor water quality can havesignificant negative effects for us humans. But what about when water is as it should be? Healthy water contains minerals such as: Calcium & magnesium ֠for good bone development Chlorine ֠for our digestive process Copper ֠improves the function of enzymes in blood and muscles Iron ֠supports blood and muscle tissues Potassium ֠aids myocardium activities, water retention, and more Sodium ֠a key component of blood plasma and essential for energy And more. Healthy, clean water = healthy, clean humans. Itҳ all the more obvious, then, whywater pollution should be tackled with urgency. Monitor water quality with Aquaread If youҲe looking for an effective and easy way to monitor the water quality of a body of water (be it fresh or saltwater), weҶe got you covered. Head to oursensors page for an idea of the parameters our products can test for anddiscover our water quality testing equipment here. 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