Water pollution and all its harmful effects on health

Water is the source of life. You must be familiar with this slogan, and it is true. Water is the single greatest resource we have, but unfortunately it is not renewable. That's why water pollution is one of the environmental health issues that we need to be aware of and fight its effects, for a better future for the earth.

The pollution of the Flint River has caused a stir throughout the United States

Currently water pollution has become a global problem that requires special attention. One of them is the water pollution crisis in Flint, Michigan, United States, which was declared a national emergency case by President Barack Obama when he was in office.

This water pollution case was revealed in the middle of 2015. The problem started when the Flint city government switched its water supply in 2014 to use the source from the river Flint. Almost immediately, the townspeople of Flint complained about the quality of the water. The water looked brown and had a strong smell. It was only later discovered that the River Flint was extremely corrosive.

The Flint River was found to have violated the Safe Drinking Water Act due to high levels of iron, lead, E. coli, Total coliform bacteria, and Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) in water outside normal limits. TTHM is disinfectant waste that occurs when chlorine interacts with organic biota in water. Several types of TTHM are categorized as carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

Indonesia is also an emergency for water pollution

Water pollution cases do not only occur in Uncle Sam's country. What is happening in our country is equally concerning.

The main source of river water pollution in Indonesia mostly comes from domestic or household waste, generally in the form of human waste, washing dishes and clothes waste, animal manure, and fertilizers from plantations and livestock. There are also traces of contamination with medical drugs from birth control pills to pesticides and oil.

Feces and urine waste play a role in increasing levels of E. coli bacteria in water. In big cities such as Jakarta and Yogyakarta, E. coli content outside normal limits is not only in rivers but also reaches wells in areas where residents live.

Quoting Kompas, based on a report by the Directorate General of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), in 2015 nearly 68 percent of river water quality in 33 provinces in Indonesia was heavily polluted. Among them are the Brantas River, the Citarum River, and the Wonorejo River, which are not only cloudy in color but also appear to produce white foam on their surface.

Baby diaper waste and sanitary napkins make fish sterile and sexually transmitted

Reporting from Tempo, the remaining hormones from used baby diapers and sanitary napkins disposed of at the downstream of the Karangpilang and Gunungsari rivers, Surabaya, have made a number of fish populations sterile and developed multiple sexes (intersex). In addition, due to other domestic waste pollution, the fish in the rivers and rivers of Surabaya suffer from physical disabilities and malnutrition.

This phenomenon does not only occur in Indonesia. Quoting from National Geographic, about 85 percent of the fish population smallmouth bass males in a national wildlife reserve in the northeastern United States produce eggs that nest in their testicles.

Over the past decade, feminine males have been found in 37 species in lakes and rivers throughout North America, Europe, and various other parts of the world. It is suspected that pollutant agents that have particles mimicking sex hormones are the cause.

Some fish species are hermaphrodite, aka these fish can naturally change sex because they have two female and male sex organs, as an adaptability to increase the chances of breeding. However, the intersex case in fish is very different. This phenomenon only occurs in fish species that do not have hermaphrodite properties, and of course it does not help the reproductive process.

In severe cases, this intersex phenomenon can make fish sterile, which may even lead to extinction. The population of minnows in the Potomac River, America, for example, is reported to have decreased sharply due to immune system problems related to the issue of water contamination by the hormone estrogen from the waste of birth control pills.

The content of lead in anxious water puts a child at risk of mental retardation

There are many diseases that can be caused by water pollution. Everyone needs to consume water, and that's why all these risks can haunt anyone in the world. However, infants, children, the elderly, pregnant women, and especially those with weakened immune systems, are more susceptible to disease risk.

Diseases caused by water pollution, including:

• Cholera, is caused by the vibrio chlorae bacteria when you consume water or food contaminated by the feces of a person with this disease. You can also catch cholera if you wash food items with contaminated water. Symptoms include: diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and headaches.
• Amoebiasis, or Traveler's Diarrhea, is caused by amoebae living in polluted water. This amoeba causes infection of the large intestine and liver. Symptoms include bloody and mucus diarrhea, which can be mild or very severe.
• Dysentery, is caused by bacteria that enter the mouth through contaminated water or food. Signs and symptoms of dysentery include fever, vomiting, stomach pain, bloody diarrhea and severe mucus.
• DiarrheaInfectious diarrhea is one of the most common diseases caused by bacteria and parasites living in polluted water. Diarrhea results in watery / runny stool which causes sufferers to experience dehydration, even death in children and toddlers.
  
• Hepatitis A, is caused by the hepatitis A virus which attacks the liver. It is usually spread through the consumption of water or food contaminated with feces, or through direct contact with the feces of a person.
• Lead poisoning, chronic exposure to lead poisoning can lead to serious medical conditions, including organ damage, nervous system disorders, anemia, and kidney disease.
• Malaria, is a virus that is spread by the parasites of the female Anopheles mosquito. Mosquitoes breed in water. Signs and symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, and chills. If left untreated, malaria can lead to complications such as pneumonia, severe anemia, coma and death.
• Polio, is an acute infectious virus caused by poliovirus. Polio is spread through the feces of someone with the disease.
• Trachoma (eye infection), as a result of contact with polluted water. At least 6 million people with trachoma are blind.

Long-term consumption of this toxic water shows a marked impact on humans. Flint children in the United States report severe hair loss and reddish rashes on the skin.

Lead poisoning is irreversible. Blood lead levels beyond the threshold are very dangerous, especially for children and pregnant women. According to WHO, very high blood lead levels can impact learning disabilities, behavioral problems, decreased IQ, and mental retardation.