Health effects of aluminum, nitrate, and lead in drinking water

Nitrate, Aluminum, And Lead in Drinking Water

Three mayor harmful chemicals that affect water's natural condition are nitrate, aluminum, and lead. In recent years, public fears over the contamination of drinking water by these and other contaminants have grown. Certainly, the public is right to be concerned about the possible health effects of aluminum, nitrate, and lead. Aluminum has long been linked with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, bone diseases and anemia. Nitrates are known to have gastric effects, neurological implications, as well as other effects on human health. Lead is well documented to play a role in intellectual retardation, and also impacts abdominal pain, and has other health effects. Aluminum, nitrate, and lead in the human water supply pose significant threats to public health.

Today, domestic water supplies across the world vary enormously in quality. In Great Britain, tap water (which comes from groundwater, reservoirs, and rivers) is treated, and must meet water quality standards for the removal of harmful chemicals like aluminum, lead, and nitrates, as well as reduce the levels of disease-causing microorganisms (Walker). Similarly, tap water in the United States is treated for public safety. However, a number of individuals in the United States drink water from wells, potentially exposing them to harmful chemicals and microorganisms (Schubert, Knobeloch, Kanarek and Anderson). Individuals in less developed regions face an even larger problem with water contamination. Given the prevalence of unsafe drinking water worldwide, it remains crucial to understanding the potential health effects of harmful chemicals in water. Three of the most harmful chemicals found in human drinking water are aluminum, lead, and nitrate. The effects that these three chemicals (nitrate, lead and aluminum) in drinking water have on human health and well-being will be examined in this paper.

Aluminum

The majority of scientific evidence about the health effects of aluminum arisentered on aluminum's neurotoxic effects. The risk of Alzheimer's disease has been shown to be 1.5 times higher in areas where aluminum concentrations in drinking water were greater than 0.11 mg/l than in areas where the concentration was below 0.01 mg/l. Further, patients on renal dialysis that were exposed to water with high aluminum concentrations have shown evidence of a so-called "dialysis dementia" that is presumably linked with high levels of aluminum in drinking water (Walker).

However, studies have not been completely conclusive about the degree to which aluminum can cause neurotoxicity (Walker). Further, the toxicity that is often attributed to aluminum may be influenced by other constituents in water such as calcium, pH, and fluoride. As such, the link between aluminum and brain disorders remains to be conclusively established (Rifat).

In addition to its' neurotoxic effects, aluminum in drinking water may have numerous significant other health effects. These effects include links between aluminum and bone disease and anemia.

Interestingly, aluminum in drinking water may be introduced into the water supply by water treatment processes themselves. Aluminum sulphate is added as a coagulant that removes suspended matter during the water treatment process in many facilities. The aluminum nitrate is then removed through filtration and clarification, but trace amounts may remain. In the European community, the maximum acceptable concentration of aluminum in drinking water in the UK is 0.2 mg/l, based on the incidence of problems with dirty water, rather than health implications (Walker).

Lead

The effect of lead on human health is well-known. Lead often enters the water supply through plumbing in homes that were built prior to 1964. As such, people in older homes with acidic water are at the greatest risk for lead poisoning (Walker). In the United States, lead poisoning is a major environmental health problem that affects children (Government Printing Press).

Intellectual retardation is one of the most serious of the potential effects of lead poisoning. Since 1970, a number of studies have implicated high levels of lead in the blood with lowered measures of intelligence. As such, lead appears to have a strong effect on behavioral and learning problems in children (Walker).

Abdominal pain is a well-known result of lead toxicity. However, little is known about the results of long-term exposure to low levels of lead (Walker).

Lead in drinking water has also been linked to a number of other health effects. These include headache, and irritability. Lead poisoning can eventually lead to coma and death (Walker).

Conclusion

In conclusion, nitrate, aluminum, and lead are harmful contaminants in a human water supply. Aluminum has a long link with brain and bone diseases, as well as anemia. Nitrate is known to have gastric and neurological effects, among other health implications. Similarly, lead is known to be linked to abdominal pain, intellectual retardation, and other health effects. Today, given the variability of the water supply across the United States and worldwide, numerous individuals are currently at risk for the serious health implications of nitrate, aluminum and lead in the human water supply.