Mismanaged or untreated byproducts of all human activities like domestic, agricultural, or industrial, when mixed into water, become a potential threat to human health and the ecosystem. The management and disposal of wastewater should be done cleverly and in strategic ways to diminish the effect of pathogens, chemicals, and dangerous physical contaminants on the environment. It is called the breeding ground for Crisis because it causes threats to humans and the environment that may not be observable immediately but can be seen over time after growth to a certain extent.
Wastewater is not just dirty water; it consists of different pollutants. These pollutants can be classified as biological, chemical, or physical.
Biological contaminants: Bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi are the organisms capable of spreading diseases to humans and animals so these are categorized under biological contaminants. Examples of biological contaminants are Bacteria such as E. Coli, Vibrio cholerae, and Salmonella typhi, etc. Viruses such as Hepatitis A and Poliovirus, etc. Parasites such as Entamoeba histolytica and Roundworms such as Ascaris.
Diarrhea, typhoid, Cholera, food poisoning, Hepatitis A, polio, ascariasis, and fungal infections are some of the diseases that are caused by biological contaminants.
Chemical Contaminants: Drugs, antibiotics, solvents, heavy metals, fertilizers, and reaction intermediates are chemically hazardous substances that produce toxins that harm the environment and accumulate in the organs of aquatic organisms. Over a period of time, these toxins can accumulate in the upper members of the food chain.
Physical Contaminants: Physical pollutants like small pieces of plastic, stone or soil particles, floating debris, and oil or grease are found in wastewater and these are capable of altering the texture and overall quality of the water.
Impacts of Contamination
Public Health Impacts
The severe consequence of water contamination is the spreading of water-borne diseases in humans and animals such as diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis A, etc. In a factsheet on drinking water World Health Organization states that water borne diarrheal disease counts for approximately 505000 deaths each year. Children are more vulnerable to death due to water-borne diseases as they get dehydrated much more easily than adults.
Chronic illnesses, developmental defects, and organ impairment in children as well as adults increase due to regular exposure to chemical contaminants like lead, arsenic, etc.
Environmental Impacts
Untreated sewage and industrial waste in water bodies disrupt the balance of the aquatic ecosystem by increasing Biochemical Oxygen Demand which causes the death of aquatic organisms due to hypoxia as the increased demand for oxygen for the degradation of organic matter depletes the oxygen level that the ecosystem. It also counts for toxin or metal accumulation in organs of aquatic organisms which further pass on to the upper members of the food chain. Excess amount of nutrients in aquatic ecosystems causes eutrophication by algal blooms.
Economical Impacts
- Increased Healthcare costs.
- Loss of Livelihood by loss of aquaculture, agricultural, and tourism sector.
- Increased cost of water treatment.
Case Studies: Real-World Water Crises
The Flint Water Crisis (USA, 2014)
Water contamination is not a problem only in developing or underdeveloped countries even the USA, one of the developed countries had to face a public health crisis when the drinking water supply of Flint City was switched to the Flint River, and for cost-cutting of the supply chain government officials not used the corrosion inhibitors. The Flint Water Crisis in 2014 led to over 9,000 children being exposed to lead poisoning in the USA. Failing to use corrosion inhibitors increased the level of lead from the pipeline into the supply of drinking water ultimately its level elevated in the blood of people surviving on the supply of water. This Flint water crisis was caused by neglect of duty by government officials and all this was exposed when a pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha observed this elevated lead level in almost all the ill children visiting the hospital. This crisis led 9000 children to lead poisoning in 2014 in the USA.
India’s Emerging Water Crisis: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in Pune
Similar issues of water quality can affect India if neglected for long as contaminated water is also attributed to the spread of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in Pune, Maharashtra. GBS is a rare condition associated with the immune and nervous systems. It is a condition in which the body's immune system is unable to differentiate between nerves and foreign materials and microbes. Ultimately, the immune system attacks the nerves, resulting in tingling, weakness, or paralysis. While this is considered idiopathic because the real reason for this disease is not known yet, research is ongoing to find out the etiology of this disease, and exposure to contaminated water is suspected to be a contributing factor.
These cases advocate the urgent need for better wastewater management and stringent water quality regulations to prevent future health crises.
Image Source: Microsoft Designer
Water contamination is an injustice to the environment and it is purely a result of bad decision-making not only at the government level but even at individual level person to person. Governments must enforce strict wastewater treatment policies, and individuals must take responsibility for reducing pollution.