Dihydrogen-monoxide, or water, as it is commonly known, is universally crucial to all life on Earth. Water sustains every living creature, from tiny organisms like bacteria, to giant ones like elephants, giraffes, and even the dinosaurs back when they roamed the Earth. Water is everywhere too, in the oceans on Earth, in the air, and in the ground. Not only is it omnipresent on Earth, but it is also a very interesting chemical.
On their own, the two elements that make up water, hydrogen and oxygen, are both incredibly flammable, but when they bond to form H₂O, it becomes one of the most common substances people associate with putting out fires, water. Considering its abundance, it would seem like water would be easier to find to drink. It even makes up around 70 percent of the Earth. However, the problem is that an immense portion of the water found here on Earth is not freshwater, clean, or easily accessible, which are all criteria for good quality drinking water. This is one reason that filtered, clean, freshwater is so important and why there is such a great demand for water filters of all kind in most developed countries.
Water is a vital resource in the natural ecosystem. It must have the right qualities to support the microorganisms, vegetation, and animals the ecosystem needs to thrive. Human environments like cities and towns need water to thrive as well, just like natural environments. Water is used by humans not only for drinking and hygiene but also commercial activities like mining, farming, and recreational activities. Because of this, it is incredibly important to have good water quality for even more reasons than public health concerns. For example, if the quality of water diminishes then not only will the natural environment suffer, but so will many industries such as the agriculture and tourism industries. Groundwater is a significant source of water often used for all of these needs. Unfortunately, groundwater can be contaminated easily, especially in urban areas.
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Luckily, there is system to measure the quality of the water that we so desperately need. Water quality is often determined by four overall factors. These factors are the physical, biological, chemical, and aesthetic properties.Water is crucial to the survival of all living things. Over two thirds of the average human body is made up of water. In fact, water makes up 90 percent of human lungs, 95 percent of the human brain, and 82 percent of human blood. Due to these sta, dehydration is most frequently what causes fatigue during the day. Around three quarters of Americans suffer from mild dehydration. Water is vital to many tasks required to maintain homeostasis and to keep a person alive. For example, water is used in homeostasis to keep body temperature in check. Water helps with digestion problems as well. Not to mention the role it plays as the main ingredient in saliva. Drinking merely eight glasses of water a day significantly reduces the likelihood of getting many cancers too.
Not only do people get water through drinking it but also they also ingest water through food. In America, roughly 22 percent of the average daily water intake is from food. Lots of fruits, such as watermelon, strawberries, apples, grapes, oranges, and cantaloupe are made up of more than four fifths water. In fact, the only food items completely devoid of water are oils and sugars. Staying hydrated is incredibly important when participating in physical activity. Dehydration, even on a relatively small scale, can have significant effects on one’s performance in these activities. Some of these effects are less endurance, being less determined, and a changed level of heat regulation. Another impact on performance due to dehydration is a larger amount of weariness. It is especially important to hydrate when participating in high-endurance activities. Fortunately, rehydrating can undo all of these effects.
Hypohydration also temporarily changes how well a person thinks. This makes it imperative for those who are extremely old or young especially, to hydrate. Hypohydration can cause a lesser degree of focus and alertness. It can also affect a person’s short-term memory negatively. Some other skills that are affected are visual perception and reaction time. One final skill affected by dehydration is the ability to perform arithmetic. Hypohydration can change a person’s mood causing anger, confusion, and other emotions. Reintroducing water to the body should however reverse these effects. There have been many studies on this topic. The studies used to find these conclusions are however inconsistent.
There are many inorganic contaminants that can be found in water. The leading inorganic contaminants are lead, mercury, and arsenic. They are particularly hazardous to one’s well-being, even if they occur in small amounts. Other common compounds found in tap water actually have health benefits. Some of these are potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Although, the latter two largely contribute to hard water too.
There are also carbon-based, or organic, compounds found in water like Carbon Tetrachloride, Benzene, Vinyl Chloride, and Trihalomethanes. These compounds are, in rare case, carcinogenic and can affect the nervous system. Other dangers that can be present in drinking water are pathogens such as Giardia, Legionella, and Cryptosporidium. They can cause the water to smell and taste unpleasant and make it unclear. However, Situations in which people got sick due to these pathogens are highly uncommon.
Fortunately, there are many types of water filters that accomplish a variety of different tasks to remove these contaminants. For instance, activated carbon filters use carbon with large amounts of pores to trap pollutants in them. This kind of Filter is common in pitchers and bulkier filters. It takes the chlorine, sediment, and many organic pollutants out of the water, giving it a more pleasant smell and taste. However, it fails to eliminate compounds that have already dissolved in the water.
Another option is a ceramic filter. Ceramic filters also use pores but in these filtration systems the water goes through the ceramic filter and objects that are too large and cannot pass through. This form of filter is durable and sizably reduces bacteria and protozoa in the water. Ceramic filters are most often inexpensive for such a durable product. Unfortunately, they do not work against viruses and work slowly.
Reverse Osmosis is also a way of filtering water that is relatively common. These forms of filtration force water through a semipermeable membrane that only the water can pass through. Reverse Osmosis mechanisms are particularly useful to eliminate viruses, parasites, and many pollutants. These undesired contaminants are then disposed of by flushing them away. While highly effective, these filters are expensive, bulky, and waste a significant amount of water.
Finally, there are ultraviolet water filtration mechanisms. They use high frequency electromagnetic light waves to kill living microorganisms. These microorganisms include all parasites, viruses, and bacteria. Although, they do not eliminate pollutants that are non-living like lead. They are also extremely expensive.
Considering all of this research, activated carbon filters and c are the most cost-effective, while reverse-osmosis filters are the best for households that are okay with spending more money. Also, drinking water is immensely beneficial to one’s health, and the consequences of even mild dehydration, although temporary, still exist and have a large impact on those who are only slightly dehydrated. It is especially important to drink clean filtered water due to the health hazards that water contaminants like lead, mercury, arsenic, bacteria, and many other microorganisms. Finally, water is necessary to all environments, whether it is a human environment like a city, town, or farm, or if it is a natural habitat like a forest or even a desert, despite how scarce water sources are in the desert.
