Clean and safe tap water is essential for our life. We completely rely on it for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. But did you know? There is a strong chance that tap water in most parts of the world may contain some unappetizing or unwanted substances that can put our health at risk.
The unappetizing things or substances are usually referred to as “Contaminants” or “Impurities.” So, it is important for you to get familiar with them completely so that you can take the necessary steps to make your tap water clean and safe.
In this Frizzlife blog, we are going to discuss the 5 most commonly found unappetizing things found in tap water.
Also, read our recent blog post about Why Plastic Water Bottles Are Harmful
What is Tap Water?
"Tap Water" is a type of water that comes from public supply. It travels via a system of pipes to residences and commercial buildings.
It is the most specialized supply of drinking water for people living in cities and suburbs and is frequently utilized for flushing toilets, washing, cooking, and drinking.
5 Unappetizing Things That Have Been Found In Tap Water
5 unappetizing things that have been found in tap water are as follows:
1. Lead:
Lead is a hazardous metal that can harm human health, even in small quantities. The two main causes of lead contamination in freely accessible drinking water are organic release erosion and corrosion of residential plumbing components.
However, the duration of the water's exposure to the plumbing, the degree of pipe rust, the pH level of the water, and its temperature all affect how much lead is present in the drinking water. There are several harmful health impacts that lead in water can have.
2. Chlorine:
Chlorine, an unappetizing contaminant, has been discovered in tap water. It is added to public water supplies as an oxidant to control microorganisms. Chlorine can also be consumed physically, in addition to being taken in via your skin when you bathe. Moreover, it may harm your nose and eyes, in addition to leaving your hair and skin extremely dry.
3. Chloramines:
Chloramines are created when nitrogen is introduced to water containing permitted chlorine. Usually, chloramines are included as an additional disinfecting agent. Disinfectant byproducts are formed when substances that exist naturally in water mix with chlorine and chloramine.
These Disinfectant byproducts have been demonstrated in research to contribute to cancer.
4. Mercury:
Mercury is a transparent metal present in many different types of natural contributions. Mercury may enter public drinking water through a variety of sources, including agricultural land drainage, garbage dump runoff, refinery and factory discharge, and loss of organic deposits. Damage to the kidneys can result from prolonged excessive mercury exposure.
5. Herbicides & Pesticides
Herbicides are an additional unappetizing contaminant that has been found in tap water. Herbicides build up in open-air soil and water sources, which allows them to get into the water supply. They are most frequently introduced into the water supply system by watering and precipitation, which carry the chemicals into rivers and lakes from agricultural land.
The herbicide atrazine, which is frequently applied to golf links, can affect a person's reproductive system and hormone levels.
Pesticides are transported to treatment facilities via drains that originate from residence drains, where they are left neglected for the duration of the detoxification process. There are literally thousands of distinct compounds, and very little research has been done on the potential health effects of these pollutants.
Possible Health Risks
The contaminants discussed above can pose both short-term and long-term health risks.
Short-term health risk:
Gastrointestinal issue: Consuming tap water that contains lead, pesticides, etc, can lead to vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, etc.
Skin irritation: Certain impurities like mercury and, in some cases, chlorine can cause skin irritation, dryness, redness, and itching when they come in contact with the skin.
Long-term effects:
Chronic illness: Consuming tap water that is polluted with certain contaminants, especially lead and mercury, can result in the development of chronic illnesses such as kidney damage, liver issues, neurological disorders, etc.
Risk of cancer: Using contaminated water for a prolonged period of time can increase the risk of cancer.
So, these are both short and long-term health risks associated with consuming tap water that contains the above-discussed things.
The Perfect Ways To Deal With the Unappetizing Things in Tap Water
Below, we have discussed some of the best ways to deal with contaminants in tap water.
1. Regular testing and monitoring:
You should regularly test the overall quality of the water that is coming through the tap of your home. This will involve determining what kind and level of contaminants are in the tap water. For this, you can consider testing the water quality through a reputable laboratory.
2. Use water filtration system:
You can consider installing water filters to efficiently remove all the toxic contaminants or impurities from the water. The filters make use of different filtration techniques to make the tap water safe and clean from unappetizing things.
The good is that there is a huge variety of filtration systems available in the market. The common types include:
All these are available at different prices, making it easier for you to go with the one that you think is suitable.
3. Stay updated and informed:
You also need to stay updated or informed regarding any advisories about the tap water quality from the local suppliers. They usually provide information about the potential issues with tap water. They also suggest precautions that the consumers can take.
So, if you notice any strange thing in tap water, like bad taste, odor, or smell, then you should immediately contact the authorities to fix the issue.
Final Words:
Tap water all around the world contains various unappetizing things in the water that can make it dangerous for drinking, cooking, and bathing purposes. So, it is important for everyone to get familiar with these things so that they can take the necessary steps to remove them from the tap water.