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Water plays a unique role as a substance that determines the possibility of existence and the very life of all creatures on Earth. It plays the role of a universal solvent in which the main biochemical processes of living organisms take place. The uniqueness of water is that it dissolves both organic and inorganic substances quite well, providing a high rate of chemical reactions and, at the same time, sufficient complexity of the resulting complex compounds.
Water plays a unique role as a substance that determines the possibility of existence and the very life of all creatures on Earth. It plays the role of a universal solvent in which the main biochemical processes of living organisms take place. The uniqueness of water is that it dissolves both organic and inorganic substances quite well, providing a high rate of chemical reactions and, at the same time, sufficient complexity of the resulting complex compounds.
How can the water be contaminated?
Pollutants enter freshwater in a variety of ways, but always with human involvement: through accidents, intentional waste discharges, spills and leaks. The surface waters of Russia are most polluted with oil products, phenols, easily oxidizable organic substances, metal compounds, ammonium and nitrite nitrogen, as well as specific pollutants, which include lignin, xanthates, formaldehyde and others brought into water bodies by wastewater from agricultural and municipal enterprises. farms.
There are several types of impurities:
completely soluble substances that are in water in the form of individual molecules or ions. In appearance, this water usually cannot be distinguished from pure, free of impurities. The presence of such substances can only be established by chemical analysis. Many gases, salts of sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, etc. are present in dissolved form in water. With industrial emissions, salts of heavy metals (lead, mercury, chromium, etc.) and various organic substances get into the water. Melted water and rainwater bring various herbicides, pesticides, residues of mineral fertilizers from the fields. It is not possible to remove these substances with the existing treatment scheme at waterworks.
impurities that form so-called colloidal systems with water. Particles of these impurities are composed of conglomerates of molecules. For example, soap in water produces a particle of about 50 molecules. These conglomerates are so small that they can only be seen under an electron microscope. In this state, the water can contain substances of organic or mineral origin, as well as viruses.
impurities forming suspensions with water. These are particles of sand, clay, waste products of living organisms, bacteria. When standing, they settle to the bottom of the vessel.
How does drinking water pollution affect health?
Experts from the World Health Organization have found that many diseases and deaths could have been avoided thanks to the only inexpensive means - providing the population with clean drinking water.
Over the past few decades, the problem of pollution of water sources (lakes, rivers, groundwater) has become very acute. Water pollution with pesticides is difficult to detect due to the low concentration. Harmful substances can accumulate in the body, causing a variety of diseases, including cancer. Pesticides, first of all, include heavy metals - lead, tin, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, chromium, copper, zinc. Metal ions dissolve in water and, thus, enter the body and act on enzymes, suppressing their activity, causing severe neurological consequences. Moderate retardation develops under the influence of lead poisoning, and mental abnormalities and congenital deformities occur with mercury poisoning.
Heavy metals are dangerous because they are capable of bioaccumulation. Metals are retained and accumulated in the body, like in a filter, when they come in with food and liquids. The body cannot get rid of heavy metals, as they firmly bind to proteins. Bioaccumulation is exacerbated in the food chain, and organisms at the top of the food pyramid have the highest doses of pesticides. This dose can become a hundred thousand times higher than in the external environment. This accumulation of a substance as it passes through the food chain is called bioconcentration. These processes are difficult to notice in the early stages before reaching a dangerous level. Once a dangerous level is reached, it is almost impossible to remedy the situation. fluxtek water purifier
One of the most important environmental pollutants are nitrogen compounds that enter the air, water, and soil. The medical and ecological problem is constituted by nitrates, nitrites, which contribute to the development of numerous diseases.
The situation is complicated by synergistic effects. Pesticides are rarely found separately from each other, and two or more poisons together produce an effect many times greater than the sum of the actions of each of them. Combining together, poisons, entering the human body, weaken the immune system, and the person becomes more susceptible to infections and parasites.
