WATER QUALITY AND

HEALTH EFFECTS
ALLEN M. INDUCTIVO, CE,
EnSE
ENGINEER III
DOH CHD 3

Objectives

describe the different physical

and chemical properties of water

Discuss the various health effects

caused by these substances in
water

hazards

Exposure
pathway

Doseresponse

Health
effects

Water
quality

Ingestion,
Skin contact

Age, sex,
Nutritional
Status, genetics

Infection,
poisoning

Physical Characteristics
Turbidity - property which
interferes with the passage of
light through water
Color - apparent color and true
color

Turbidity

caused by a wide variety of

suspended materials - - colloidal to
coarse dispersion

Common in surface water

Sources : runoff from rain and flood

(clay and silt), street washing,
industrial waste

Environmental
significance of
turbidity
Aesthetics undesirable
appearance

Filterability more difficult and

costly

Disinfection interferes with

effectiveness of disinfection

Color

Apparent color caused by

suspended matter

True color caused by dissolved

vegetables or organic extracts

Public Health
Significance of Color

Imparts aesthetic problems affecting

acceptability of water

Interferes with disinfection by reacting

with chlorine compounds resulting to
formation of chloroform and other
trihalomethanes (THM), and other
chlorinated organics. These may pose
certain health problems to consumers

Chemical Properties of
Water

pH, acidity and alkalinity

Water hardness
Iron and Manganese
Chloride
Fluoride
Sulfate

Chemical Properties of
Water

Nitrogen and Phosphorus

Residual Chlorine
Phenols
Inorganic substances ( Lead, Mercury,
Arsenic, Cadmium, Selenium
Organic substances ( chlorinated
hydrocarbons, organic phosphates,
carbamates, polyaromatic hydrocarbons,
etc.

pH, Acidity and

Alkalinity
pH expresses the intensity of the acid
and alkaline conditions of water
pH ------------ 7 -------------14
Acidic
Alkaline
pH expresses the hydrogen ion
concentration

Forms of Acidity in water

Carbon dioxide
Mineral acidity ( Nitric, Sulfuric,
Phosphoric acids, etc )
Environmental Significance of
Acidity:
Carbon dioxide imparts pleasant
taste
Mineral acidity makes water
unpalatable that deters consumption

Alkalinity measure of the capacity of

water to neutralize acids
Caused by salts of weak acids :
bicarbonates, carbonates and
hydroxide
borates, silicates and phosphates
Alkalinity imparts bitter (mapakla)
taste to water

Water Hardness
Hardness is caused by multivalent
metallic cations:
Calcium
Magnesium
Strontium
Iron
Manganese

Sources of Hardness
Contact of water with soil and rock
formations

Under low pH due to presence of

carbon dioxide, water can dissolve
basic materials, i.e. limestone
Common in groundwater

Classification of water
according to degree of
hardness
mg/L
0 - 75
75 - 150
150 300
300 up

Degree of Hardness
Soft
Moderately Hard
Hard
Very Hard

Significance of
Hardness

Increases soap consumption to

produce foam or lather
Produces scale in hot water pipes,
boilers, and heaters
Studies in the US indicated that
cardiovascular diseases were
reduced among population drinking
hard water

Iron (Fe) and Manganese

(Mn)

Present in soil in insoluble form

Under certain acidic condition, Fe and Mn
become soluble
When exposed to air, these are converted
to insoluble form
Imparts yellow stain color and rusty taste
(Fe) and black stain (Mn)
Fe facilitates formation of red water from
corrosion of cast iron and steel pipelines

Chlorides
Sources:
naturally occurring, chloride salts in the
soil dissolve in contact with water
spray from ocean is carried inland as
droplet
saltwater (sea) intrusion into groundwater
Irrigation water
Human excreta
Industrial wastes

Significance of
Chlorides

Imparts salty taste at concentrations

beyond 250 mg/L
No known adverse health effects to people
who consume more than 2000 mg/L
Before the development of bacteriological
tests, chloride is used to detect
contamination of groundwater
Used as tracers in groundwater studies,
where dyes are not effective tracers.

Fluoride
Significance:
At high concentrations (more than 1.0 mg/L)
promote disfigurement of teeth in humans
mottled enamel or dental fluorosis
At low levels (less than 1.0 mg/L), dental
caries become prevalent
Sources :
Naturally occurring, air pollution deposits from
aluminum processing industry

Sulfate
Significance in drinking water:

At concentrations above 250 mg/L,

impart cathartic (purgative) effect

Promote formation of scales in

bolers and heaters

Nitrogen
Sources : naturally occurring, organic
wastes
Forms: Organic N Ammonia Nitrite --- Nitrate

used as indicator of sanitary quality

Indicate recent contamination of water
depending on the nitrogen form present
interferes with the water disinfection
process
Nitrates at levels above 50 mg/L, may
cause infantile hemoglobinemia

Phosphorous and
Phosphates
Significance:
Together with nitrogen,
Phosphorous serve as nutrients
for planktons
Polyphosphates are used in
public water supplies for
controlling corrosion

Radioactive
substances (Radon
and
Radium)
Naturally
occurring radionuclides

Radioactive fallout from power

generation using nuclear energy
Health effects varies from cancer
induction to genetic disorder
According to PNRI, the limits of
radioactivity in Metro Manila
drinking water have not been
reached nor exceeded

Inorganic Substances
in Water

Arsenic
Cadmium
Chromium
Cyanide
Lead
Mercury

Arsenic
Sources :

Dissolution of minerals and ores

geothermal springs
industrial effluents (power
generation from coal-fired furnaces,
metal smelters)
atmospheric deposition

Health Effects of
Arsenic

Hyperkeratosis, blackfoot disease,

myocardial schemia, liver dysfunction
Inorganic arsenic is a documented
human carcinogen
Excess lifetime skin cancer risk of 1 in
100,000 for concentration of 0.17 ug/L
Guideline value : 0.01 mg/L with an
estimated excess lifetime skin cancer
risk of 6 in 10,000

Cadmium
Sources:
wastewater pollution
air pollution deposition
impurities in galvanized pipes,
solders and metal fittings
food is the main source of daily
exposure of cadmium

Health Effects of

Cadmium

Accumulates in the kidney with a biological

half-life of 10 35 years
Main routes of exposure are inhalation and
ingestion
Kidney is the main target organ of
cadmium (Itai-itai disease)
Skeletal effects secondary to derangement
of mineral metabolism in the kidney
Cardiovascular diseases accompanied by
hypertension

Chromium
Source : Naturally occurring, industrial
wastewater
Health Effects :

carcinogenic and genotoxic through the

inhalation route

No sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity

through the oral route

Cyanide
Source : industrial contamination
of drinking water sources
Health effects :
thyroid and nervous system
dysfunction

Lead
Source :

dissolution of lead in minerals

and soil

household plumbing fixtures,

fittings, solders and pipes

Lead
Health Effects :
At high concentrations, hematological,
renal and neurological impairments,
reproductive effects including impaired
fertility and fetal wastage

At lower levels include impaired growth of

children, increases in blood pressure and
minor congenital defects

Mercury
Sources :
inorganic and organic mercury are
naturally occurring in surface and
groundwater
mining wastes where mercury is
used for ore processing
industrial processing wastes,
electrical apparatus, paper

Mercury
Health Effects
Teratogenic effects of
organomercurials have been
documented
congenital fetal Minamata
disease (neurological effects)
cereberal palsy, impaired learning
and behavioral disability

Organic Constituents
with Health
Significance
Aldrin
Lindane
Dieldrin
Chlordane
Endrin
Heptachlor

Methoxychlor
Toxypane
2,2 D
2,4.5-T

Wide range of health effects :

carcinogen, teratogen, mutagen

By-products of water
disinfection
Chloroform *
Phenolic substances
Formaldehyde Bromoform
Bromate
dibromochloromethane*
Bromodichloromethane *
* THM - trihalomethane

Health effects of
disinfection by-products

carcinogenic effects

effects on reproduction and

development

toxic effects on the liver and

kidney

THANK YOU