Determining and ensuring the quality of drinking water is important to protect health and avoid unnecessary dangers that threaten well-being.
Water quality is an expression that aims to describe what characteristics a certain sample or a certain body of water examined has. In this analysis process, the safety levels are evaluated when coming into contact with, using for human activities or consuming that liquid, since there are many issues that can negatively affect the quality of the water .
By paying attention to the water quality index (WQI) , although it should not be forgotten that they are not applied on a universal scale and have limitations, it is possible to determine the state of an ocean or a freshwater reserve , for example.
Ensuring (despite climate change and the incessant demand for water increased by significant population growth ) access to drinking water for all communities, that is, generating, from each State, the conditions so that each society has a safe source of water to consume or use without risk of suffering a health problem, is fundamental for the well-being of every member of the Earth. It cannot be overlooked that, according to statistics gathered and disseminated by the World Health Organization (WHO) , an enormous number of illnesses and deaths are closely linked to inefficient systems or lack of sanitation networks and/or little or no availability of drinking water . Water pollution is a problem that encourages the transmission of many diseases, damages ecosystems, jeopardizes aquatic biodiversity , causes turbidity , etc.
Water quality parameters
The parameters that are usually taken into account when determining the quality of a given water sample are chemical, physical and biological. In addition, indicators such as the level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) , Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) are also considered.
It is important to analyze the color , water temperature and turbidity , as well as the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and not to overlook bioindicators .
Those who study the water of a river, sea or similar should not ignore issues such as water hardness (classifications of soft water, moderately hard water, hard water and very hard water are accepted), the detection of heavy metals , the pH of the water (an essential piece of information to determine its acidity or alkalinity ), the quantity of dissolved oxygen or whether or not the nitrate level is acceptable according to the levels indicated by the World Health Organization .
There are water assessment tests that serve to confirm or rule out the presence of arsenic, cadmium, lead, etc. in water intended for human consumption or use.
Sources and types of pollution
From reality comes the recognition of different sources and types of pollution .
Unfortunately, aquatic environments are abundant and contaminated with waste , microplastics , phosphates , pesticides , viruses , parasites and cyanobacteria .
To know what is the best strategy to prevent, confront and solve this issue, it is constructive to learn to recognize between natural pollution versus anthropogenic pollution (the latter generated by human actions) or whether it is a point source pollution or a diffuse pollution (or from a non-point source).
When an excessive amount of inorganic nutrients is detected, the concept of eutrophication gains prominence. This phenomenon leads to, especially in fresh waters , a marked abundance of plant plankton .
The quality of water in the oceans can be determined by considering, among other bioindicators, phytoplankton.
Importance of water quality
Since polluted water has a negative impact on aquatic ecosystems and is a danger to humans (in addition to harming the economy and tourism in particular), it is vitally important to ensure that bodies of water are kept in the best possible condition, ensuring access to drinking water and that all water sources are of good quality.
Quality standards have been established and there are standards that set approval levels for drinking water and water intended for irrigation , to name two possibilities.
Since it is essential to take care of this natural resource, it should not be wasted or destroyed. On the contrary, positive habits related to the reuse of water and its optimal conservation should be adopted.
To minimize the risk of intoxication when drinking water within the human population and to avoid exposing wildlife to diseases resulting from contact with residual or stagnant water , it is always advisable to be informed about the state, origin and quality of the water . In this context, both water quality monitoring networks and wastewater management and treatment policies become valuable.
By combining sound environmental legislation ; technological innovations aimed at caring for and improving water ; individual and collective will to care for the planet through community participation, an active role for governments and international cooperation ; and environmental education from an early age, the benefits are multiplied, translating into water security and general well-being for all living beings spread across every corner of the planet.