How Does Contaminated Water Affect Children's Health?

2022-06-28 01:09:07How Does Contaminated Water Affect Children's Health?
How Does Contaminated Water Affect Children's Health?

Water is necessary for our continued existence on this planet. We all know that water aids in various bodily activities, from digestion to excretion. According to Medscape 2022, when it comes to drinking water for children, it's important to remember that infants, toddlers, and children carry larger body water content than adults. Their faster metabolic rates and increased body surface area to mass index, contribute to their higher fluid and solute turnover. As a result, infants and children require proportionally more water than adults to maintain fluid balance, and they are more vulnerable to volume depletion.

Dehydration is a typical concern among youngsters because they are involved in various activities throughout the day. Because children are less heat resistant, they require a lot of water to be healthy and hydrated. As a result, kids must drink enough water, especially in hot weather. 

Water contamination exists and it is an important problem that needs to be eradicated. Even in good localities, tap water is unsafe for both children and adults to drink. However, as children grow older, their delicate bodies are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of drinking contaminated water. According to a study by Water.org, a child dies every two minutes from a water-borne sickness. As a result, it is critical to consume clean, filtered water. That is why it is necessary to fix a water purifier for the home. Sediment, carbon filter, RO membrane, UV lamp, UF membrane, and post-carbon filter are all included in a Pureit RO water purifier and these features help in filtering out healthy water for children.

Why is it important to inculcate the habit of drinking water?

Though clean water is necessary for everyone, it is especially critical for children since their immune systems are more sensitive than adults. In fact, rather than choosing flavoured drinks or juices, parents should teach their children to drink water and not give in to the kids' demands for soft drinks, concentrated fruit juices, or other flavoured beverages. These flavoured drinks are not only unhealthy, but they can also contribute to major health issues such as obesity, high blood pressure, heart difficulties, and more. Water, on the other hand, not only reduces calorie intake but also cleanses impurities from our bodies.

  • Water aids in the maintenance of our body's fluid equilibrium. Growing children should drink enough water to keep their essential body processes running smoothly, such as saliva production, blood circulation, healthy digestion, body temperature regulation, and so on.
  • Water also helps to re-energize muscles. It helps to develop muscles and overcome tiredness, in addition to preserving the balance of body fluids. Children are frequently involved in a variety of physical activities that fatigue them. As a result, it is critical that they consume water. Having a water purifier for home can help kids stay hydrated all the time.
  • Water aids in the correct functioning of the kidneys. Drinking enough water aids the kidneys in their task of cleansing and eliminating toxins from our bodies. Constipation is a common complaint among children, and drinking enough water can help them maintain good bowel function.

Pureit offers a variety of RO and UV water purifiers that provide 100 percent RO+UV safe drinking water with added minerals. Because any form of impurity in water can be harmful, it's critical to invest in a high-quality RO water purifier for home to ensure that you have access to safe drinking water for healthy living!

Risk of contaminated water on children’s health

First and foremost, the type of pollutant, as well as the age of a particular child, must be taken into account. Long-term health repercussions may arise if children drink contaminated water throughout critical stages of development.

According to WHO, in terms of the link between unclean water and associated diseases, poor water quality can harm children's health in a variety of ways, including:

  • Cholera
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dysentery
  • Hepatitis A
  • Typhoid and Polio.
  • Nervous system issues

It's important to remember that the effects of some substances on youngsters haven't been thoroughly investigated. This implies that scientists aren't sure what kind of health concerns children might face if they consume dirty water containing particular chemicals. That is why it is essential to invest in a water purifier. RO water purifier prices are economical for your home.

Types of harmful water contaminants 

Water contains dangerous contaminants that are harmful to children's health. The reason for this is that youngsters consume more water per pound of body weight than adults, putting them at a higher risk of health problems. Drinking contaminated water exposes children to gastrointestinal and stomach disorders such as nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, and headaches. Drinking contaminated water can have a wide range of health consequences, from mild illness to severe illness. Because their bodies are still developing, hazardous pollutants in water hurt their developing tissues and organs even more. Given the dire circumstances, it is critical to test the water quality and install a RO Water Purifier for home to ensure that your children drink only safe and pure water.

Physical impurities primarily affect the appearance of water, as well as other physical attributes such as turbidity, colour, taste, odour and temperature. The presence of suspended particles such as sediment, mud, sand, dust and silt, which settle quickly in standing water, is indicated by turbidity in water. However, turbidity in drinking water should not exceed 5 parts per million. Settling, coagulation and filtration can all be used to remove suspended contaminants. The presence of a tint of colour in the accessible water is attributable to discharges from businesses such as chemicals, textiles and paper. We all know that the water accessible is unfit for human consumption; it contains several contaminants that, if not adequately treated, can cause a variety of major health problems and life-threatening diseases. 

The following are some of the most common types of contaminants found in water:

Lead

This toxin can be found in a variety of places, but the most prevalent source of lead contamination in water is ancient pipe systems. Alternatively, lead can enter the water through paint or even the soil, so replacing your home's pipes may not be enough to solve the problem, though it should in most circumstances. When it comes to lead levels in the water, there are authoritative bodies in India to ensure rigorous investigations are done before the water is supplied to localities. 

Flouride

Fluoride is a mineral that is purposefully added to our tap water in its synthetic form for its apparently beneficial effect on teeth - which is why many kinds of toothpaste include fluoride in their ingredient list. While fluoride isn't toxic, poisonous, it isn't advisable to consume too much of it. Fluorosis, which is characterised by the formation of white spots on the baby's teeth, can occur in infants if they are exposed to excessive quantities of (ingested) fluoride. 

Fluoride is added to tap water in many places around the world, making it difficult to totally avoid it. Regulations and rules, on the other hand, should ensure that fluoride levels in drinking water are below permissible limits. Still, for worried parents, fluoride-free water would probably be the best option for their babies' powdered formulas.

Arsenic 

High amounts of arsenic have been linked to decreased intellect in children as well as an increased risk of bladder, lung and liver malignancies. Diabetes, heart disease and skin disorders are all linked to arsenic. Arsenic at any concentration can be dangerous. Doctors strongly advise treating water with arsenic exceeding 10 g/L or seeking another water source.

Nitrates

Nitrates are not good to consume in larger amounts. Methemoglobinemia is a disease that can occur if an infant drinks water that includes a high quantity of nitrate. Cancer can also develop as a result of extended exposure to nitrates in drinking water. Arsenic is a carcinogen that is also harmful to both children and adults, and even low levels found in drinking water have been related to cancer. That is why a water purifier for home can help solve these issues.

The presence of iron, aluminium, manganese, sulphate or an excess of lime in the water might cause it to taste bitter. While the presence of sodium bicarbonate might provide a soapy flavour, the presence of an excessive amount of salts can cause a brackish or somewhat salty taste. Waste products discharged from businesses can cause odour in water. Chlorine, hydrogen, and sulphide are the most common odorants. Another significant aspect to consider when analyzing water quality is temperature, which influences several other metrics and can change the physical and chemical properties of water.

How can you check if your water is safe?

A water test is one of the simplest ways to determine whether your tap water is safe and free of contaminants. Water testing can be performed by an experienced water purifying company in your area. The results of the test will reveal exactly what is in your water. Second, the test will reveal what steps you can do to improve your performance. Installing high-quality water softeners and filters, such as the Pureit water purifier for home is a crucial first step.

Why is a water purifier helpful?

According to a UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) report 2020, fewer than half of India's population has access to correctly managed drinking water. To purify water, RO water purifiers are the best choice because it uses a semipermeable membrane with small pores 

No matter what the RO water purifier prices are, buying one is definitely beneficial for the longer term. Make sure you're drinking germ-free water to avoid these issues. You can purify it in a number of ways, including boiling. When employing the boiling method, hazardous germs are killed to some level, although purifiers are the greatest alternative. It not only gets rid of bacteria, but it also gets rid of pesticides, fluorides, clay and other microorganisms. Water is filtered by removing all contaminants from any source, such as a bore well or a tap. Filtration, coagulation, sedimentation, and other physical processes are used by the RO purifier to purify the water. Finally, drinking contaminated water is harmful to one's health. Make sure you're drinking clean, impurity-free water, and choose the best RO water purifier for your home.

Pureit - The best RO water purifier for home!

Allow your children to understand that water is the only true thirst-quencher. As a good parent, though, it is your responsibility to provide them with clean, healthy water, which you can do by installing a high-quality water filter. Pureit’s RO and UV water purifiers ensure that every drop of water you drink is clean, pure, and healthy. So, with cost-effective Pureit RO water purifier prices, you can provide your children with the cleanest form of nature's gift!

Hindustan Unilever has designed and perfected its water purifier range to eliminate undesired elements while keeping the vital minerals in the water intact, with the goal of providing nothing but the finest to its customers. Its strong 8-stage purification process removes all complex pollutants and restores a wide range of naturally occurring minerals, resulting in pH-balanced, safe, and sanitary filtered water. This RO Water Purifier for your home is a perfect merger of simplicity and performance, with an intelligent design, multi-fill choices, auto diagnostic feature, iProtect purification monitoring, revitalizer, minerals fortification, and 100 percent RO & UV purification.

Conclusion

Some of the consequences of drinking contaminated water are immediate, while others take years to manifest. Many factors influence the potential impact on health, including the person's age and general health status, the type of pollutant, the amount of contaminated water consumed, and how long the person has been drinking contaminated water. 

How can we avoid all of the scenarios mentioned above and provide only the best for your child?  The answer is simple! Get an ideal water purifier for home and make sure your youngster exclusively drinks this water. Lead and other pollutants are removed from your water by certain filters.