Foods - Water - Contamination

The health and purity of Earth's waterways and reservoirs are increasingly threatened by human activity. The majority of creeks, rivers, and lakes are undrinkable without some form of filtration. Aquifers are affected by leachate from municipal and illegal landfills and damaged septic tank systems. Long-terms wells are becoming contaminated for the same reason and are also affected by agricultural runoff containing pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and animal sewage. Fresh water is essential to our survival and a number of measures must be taken to ensure the integrity and purity of this life-giving nutrient.

Common specific biological contaminants include Clostridium botulinum, coliform, cryptosporidium, cyanobacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) 0157:H7 and other strains, Giardia lambia, and salmonella. Specific chemical/elemental contaminants include aluminum, dioxin and other chlorine-based compounds, herbicides, nitrates, pesticides, phosphates, radon, radionuclides, solvents, sulphates, and household weed killer. Specific heavy metal contaminants include cadmium, lead, and mercury. NOTE: Chlorine is often intentionally added to water to prevent biological contamination and is both hailed and criticized by various parties. The merits and drawbacks of this approach, however, are beyond the scope of this website.