Water is the most precious natural resource available to man. Without water, the world would not survive for more than a few days. The world's population is currently estimated to be about 7.6 billion people and it continues to grow at an alarming rate. This has put some strain on the available naturally occuring water sources. The scarcity has been made worse due to high rate of deforestation. This has seen rainfall diminishing and weather patterns have become unpredictable. The environmental changes caused by global warming and climate change have also been found to affect the availability of clean and safe water (Choukroune, 2017). It has become increasingly difficult for persons in leadership to provide good water that is safe for all to use. The long term solution is to put in place mechanisms to protect water towers and to reverse the destruction of the environment. The short term solution is to provide clean water for consumption. Water treatment and purification is the best way to ensure that the public receive adequate water supply. This paper will discuss the problem of unsafe water, the treatment and purification methods available and the overall effect of these processes on both human and the environment.
Background information
There are very few water bodies that are currently safe for use in their untreated state. This is because water bodies like rivers, lakes, streams, the ocean and even groundwater have been contaminated by a combination of different human activities. Pollutants with harmful components have been introduced into the water directly or indirectly. Water can be polluted by activities such as cultivating around water bodies, introducing cleaning products into water ways, dumping waste materials and using chemical means to carry out activities like fishing and weeding. Larger pollutants include mass release of waste into water eg dumping raw sewage or factory waste continously. Water bodies can naturally get rid of small amounts of pollutants. The extent of contamination is worse when large volumes of dangerous substances are released into small water bodies (Kosel et al., 2017).
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Water that has not been treated can be dangerous for drinking, cooking, cleaning and even farming. Contaminated water from unsafe sources could carry disease causing microorganisms. Water containing bacteria, viruses or protozoa will lead to health problems. The largest source of water pollution from direct human activity comes from fecal contamination. It is responsible for conditions such as diarrhoea, cholera, and hepatitis A. Other dangerous substances found in untreated water include parasites like flukes and amoeba, lead, arsenic and other heavy metals. Toxic chemicals can also be found in contaminated water. The process of purification through treatment is aimed at ridding the water of the mentioned pollutants. Some of the components present may not be completely eliminated but they can be reduced to levels that are safe for consumption in human beings.
Chemicals in unprocessed water and its effect on human
Baer (2017) points out that Chemical components found in untreated water pose the greatest risk to human beings. This is because they are not easily detected to the naked eye. Water may be colourless, odorless and tasteless but still contain a dangerous amount of chemical pollutants. Some of the chemicals occur naturally in water. However, they increase to dangerous levels due to human interference. Chlorine, fluorine and mercury are good examples. Fluorine occurs naturally in some water found in specific regions. It was originally thought to be beneficial for dental health as it prevented tooth decay. However, recent studies have shown that it is a neurotoxin that can damage the thyroid gland. Additionally, excess amounts may lead to calcification of the pineal gland and disruption of functions of the endocrine system. Unregulated amounts also cause discolouration of teeth ( Ahuja, 2014).
Kosel et al., (2017) argues that Mercury is a dangerous toxin that occurs in water in negligible amounts. Amounts are often elevated to dangerous levels as a result of mining and other industrial processes. It can cause minor ailments such as headaches, mood swings and skin rashes. But it is also responsible for serious health conditions such as blindness, nerve damage, brain damage, tremors, memory loss and loss of cognitive skills. Lead is also a leading pollutant. It damages every organ in the body and it can cause permanent damage in children. It is responsible for conditions such as stunted growth, learning disabilities and premature birth in pregnant women. Corroded water pipes release the largest amount of lead documented and continued exposure can lead to death.
Arsenic contamination often occurs when it is not properly disposed after an industrial process. It may also occur when a well is dug in close proximity to a natural arsenic source. It results in death from lung, skin or bladder cancer after prolonged exposure. It may also cause black foot disease which is a gangrene causing condition that leads to amputation in most cases. Perchlorate is another similar chemical. It is used in explosives and it easily seeps into the ground and finds itself in ground water. Sites that have experienced military or industrial activity are often abundant in perchlorate. It caused problems associated with a malfunctioning thyroid gland (Kosel et al., 2017).
DDT or Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane in full, is a chemical that is used for insecticide control in most developing nations. It is harmful because it's molecules do not break down easily. They can travel for large distances in the atmosphere until they find a water source to bind to. It causes reproductive issues and liver damage. HCB was formerly used as a pesticide but since its banning, it's now produced as a side product of other chemical processes. It causes skin lesions and liver disease and it has been linked to cancer. Dacthal also known as dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA is a component product of most herbicides that is still used to date. It damages the liver , kidney, spleen and the adrenal gland ( Thakur et al., 2017) .
MtBE , PCB's and dioxins are also responsible for serious health conditions upto and including still births, birth defects, seizures, kidney damage and a whole battery of systematic failures . Chlorine though used as a water treatment method, can also be classified as a harmful chemical. Its benefits in sanitising sewers and cleaning swimming pools can turn dangerous. It is a reactive chemical that bonds with water to turn into HCl in ideal conditions. It can cause memory loss and impaired balance.
Methods and processes of water purification
Boiling water is thought to be the safest and cheapest method of water treatment. It has been used in the past with varying degrees of success. It is a beneficial process although its benefits are limited. If eliminates heat sensitive agents such as amoeba, bacteria and protozoa. However, boiling water has no effect on chemical components, heavy metals or salts that may be harmful to human beings. This method of treatment is enough for water that has only been contaminated by basic human activity without the influence of other chemical processes. Commercially, boiling may be used as a treatment method when it is done together with chemical treatment. The treatment process involves introducing water chemicals in a boiler. The chemicals have different roles in treatment including scale and corrosion inhibition, oxygen scavenging and alkalinity control. This method deals with the chemicals present in the water as well as most of the other pathogens like amoeba (Thakur et al., 2017).
According to Baer ( 2017) c orrosion inhibitors are often used to treat water storage and transport facilities. They work by coating themselves on the metal surface and forming a protective film. This prevents the release or breakdown of dangerous chemicals from water pipes or metal storage tanks. The five types commonly used include organic, passivity, cathodic, precipitation and volatile.
Exclusive chemical treatment is the most popular method used. Chemical treatments are classified from small scale to large chemical treatment plants. In developing nations where access to piped water is limited, the residents opt to treat their drinking water by using chlorine solutions. Water treatment of this nature is in a very small scale ranging from treating a 5 litre jerican of water to treating a 5000 litre tank for domestic use. Treatment of water for commercial is varied depending on the pollutants present in the water (Choukroune, 2017). Water samples are frequently tested to ascertain the types and amounts of pollutants that are in a given water source. Algaecides are chemicals that may be used to treat water that contains blue or green algae. They include benzalkonium chloride, iron salts, copper sulphate and rosin amine salts. Anti foams are another treatment group based on polydimethylsiloxane. They are introduced into the water in formal of powder or emulsions. They sometimes treat water together with biocides. Another effective chemical treatment method uses coagulation. Coagulants used include aluminium and iron. They normalise the ph balance in water by dealing with the salts present.
Thakur et al., (2017) states that filtration and sedimentation methods usually work after chemical processes have taken place. They are also commonly used to clean water that has solid pollutants and not biological or chemical components. The process is a combination of different stages that may involve passing water through solid substances such as sand, charcoal and gravel. Sedimentation is basically done by letting the water sit so that all the unwanted solid items settle to the bottom. The clean water is then poured out and the dirt is left behind. Other methods include distillation, reverse osmosis, and UK treatment.
Importance of purification and its impact on human
The various methods of purification and water treatment mentioned above are aimed at providing clean and safe water for human consumption. The treatment process tries to eliminate the harmful effects of pollutants. It has been proven so scientifically that effective water treatment takes place when various methods are applied together. These are chemical, filtration and sedimentation. This group of biological, chemical and physical methods ensures that all the categories of pollutants can be eliminated through processing of water. This reduces the occurrence of preventable diseases and thus improves the quality of life among people (Baer, 2017).
Purification of water ensures that the human race has an adequate supply of water that will guarantee the continuity of the planet. This measures also encourage the care of the universe and the overall preservation of the planet. Some of the methods above also create job opportunities for people as well as the opportunity to reverse the destruction of the environment. Quality of life also improves when treated water is available for all. Time and resources that were previously diverted to water purification can be assigned to other beneficial activities such as income genreration and food production. The only down side to water purification is that it is a continous process that cannot be done once and for all. It is therefore a recurrent expenditure that has to be embraced for the general well being of the public ( Thakur et al., 2017) .
Conclusion
Water is an essential component for human survival. Following the high volume of both domestic and industrial waste that often deposited in the water. Drinking water containing pathogens can lead water-borne illnesses that are often fetal to human health. it is therefore important to incorporate a variety of advanced as well as effective wastewater treatment to help generate safe water for human consumption. Safe methods of public water purification are also essential to help promote a sustainable environment for human habitat.
References
Ahuja, S. (2014). Comprehensive water quality and purification . altham, MA : Elsevier, Publishers.
Baer, M. (2017). The Human Right to Water and Sanitation: Champions and Challengers in the Fight for New Rights Acceptance. Expanding Human Rights : 21st Century Norms and Governance, 94-114.
Choukroune, L. (2017). Water and Sanitation Services in International Trade and Investment Law: for a Holistic Human Rights-Based Approach. The Regulation of the Global Water Services Market, 196-219.
Kosel, J., Gutiérrez-Aguirre, I., Rački, N., Dreo, T., Ravnikar, M., & Dular, M. (2017). Efficient inactivation of MS-2 virus in water by hydrodynamic cavitation. Water Research, 124, 465-471
Thakur, S., Govender, P. P., Mamo, M. A., Tamulevicius, S., & Thakur, V. K. (2017). Recent progress in gelatin hydrogel nanocomposites for water purification and beyond. Vacuum, 146, 1, 396-408.
Thakur, S., Govender, P. P., Mamo, M. A., Tamulevicius, S., Mishra, Y. K., & Thakur, V. K. (2017). Progress in lignin hydrogels and nanocomposites for water purification: Future perspectives. Vacuum, 146, 342-355.
