Tag: basics of water pollution

Cholera is a classic example of a water-borne disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Influenza, malaria, and tuberculosis are transmitted through different routes.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection. It shows symptoms like nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, etc. It is a type of liver infection that develops liver cirrhosis at a later stage. It also increases the risk of developing liver failure or cancer. It is spread through sexual contact or from mother to fetus. 

Several diseases specially diarrhea, gastroenteritis, typhoid, dysentery are very common in areas deficient in proper water supply.
At many places, water from hand -pumps and other sources is contaminated. At certain places, harmful mineral contents in water obtained through wells or
hand pumps cause health problems.

Portable water is used for drinking  water but it is  present in very small amount, about 1% for total water in earth. Earth is covered by 70% water but still we have limed amount of water. We generally use water for fulfilling  basic need like drinking, cooking, washing etc.

Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory (allergic) disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. These episodes may occur a few times a day or a few times per week. There is no cure for asthma. Symptoms can be prevented by avoiding triggers, such as allergens and irritants, and by the use of inhaled corticosteroids.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver tissue. Symptoms include yellow discolouration of the skin and whites of the eyes, poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain, or diarrhoea. Hepatitis may be caused by viruses. There are five main types of viral hepatitis - type A, B, C, D, and E.. Hepatitis A and E are mainly spread by contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B is mainly sexually transmitted.  Both hepatitis B and C are commonly spread through infected blood such as may occur during needle sharing by intravenous drug users. Hepatitis D can only infect people already infected with hepatitis B.

Potable water is generally impure and requires treatment before use. It is first purified using sedimentation process which is then followed by chemical coagulation and flocculation which allows grouping particles together into flocs of bigger size. 

Coliform bacteria are microorganisms that primarily found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals and thus, present in animal's faeces. By testing for coliforms, especially the Escherichia coli (E. coli), one can determine if the water has possibly been exposed to faecal contamination; that is, whether it has come in contact with human or animal faeces.