Water Pollution

By Geethanjali.S.S IV year Sri Ramakrishna Dental College,Coimbatore.

Water Pollution Law 1974: (Prevention and Control of Pollution)

Water Act- To provide legal deterrent against the spread of water pollution

 There can be no state of positive health and well being without safe water.

Water has a great role to play in socioeconomic development of human population.

Water is said to be safe when, its free from: Pathogens Harmful chemicals Color and odor and should be useable for domestic purposes.

Water is said to be polluted or contaminated when the above criteria is not fulfilled.

Uses of Water:
Domestic Public purpose Industrial purpose Agricultural purpose Power production. Water can eliminate disease, promote rural development and improve quality of life.

Sources of water supply:

Rain water Surface water- rivers, streams, ponds and lakes Ground water- wells, springs Quality and quantity are the two main criteria that the water sources conform to.

Water Requirement:
Urban domestic purpose150 liters/capita Rural areas(India)- 40 liters/capita per day Basic physiologic requirement: drinking water for survival2 liters /head per day

WATER CONTAMINATION

Water contamination:
Natural: (Not essentially dangerous): Nitrate, Carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide Clay, silt, sand and mud Microorganisms Man- Made: (essentially dangerous): Sewage Industrial and trade wastes Agricultural pollutants Physical pollutants.

Miscellaneous possibilities :

Corrosion of pipes Leaky joints Cross connection between water supply pipes and sewage, drainage pipes.

WATER RELATED DISEASES

A) Biological B) Chemical

Biological: Water-borne diseases: Viral- viral hepatitis A viral hepatitis B Poliomyelitis Rotavirus diarrhoea in infants Bacterial- Typhoid, paratyphoid fever Bacillary dysentery E.coli diarrohoea, cholera. Protozoal- amoebiasis, Giardiasis Helminthic- Round worm, hydrated disease Leptospiral- Weil s disease

Chemical
These come from industrial and agricultural wastes. Chemical pollutants are:
Detergent solvents cyanides heavy metals dyes, pigments, sulphides ammonia

 Dental health:  1mg / liter in drinking waterprotection- against dental carries.  Increase in levels of Fluorides will lead to mottling of dental enamel.

 Cyanosis in infant: Increase in nitrate in water helps in methaemoglobinaemia. Cardiovascular disease: Hardness of water appears to have a beneficial effect against cardiovascular disease.

 Inadequate use of water -shigellosis, trachoma, conjunctivitis, ascariasis, scabies.

Insects breeding in or near water leads to malaria, filaria.

Textbook of Preventive and Community Dentistry Second Edition Park K. (Pg.520-524)