Abstract The paper analyzes the issue of arsenic in drinkingwater and discusses different points of view regarding this problem. The paper also raises concerns regarding any contradicting research. The paper discusses limitations and developments and concludes that arsenic in the drinkingwater is an important concern that must be addressed in the near future, as is puts global health at risk.
Outline:
Introduction
Arsenic in DrinkingWater as a Topic of Interest
Different Points of View & Conflicting Information
Research Limitations and Assumptions
New Developments
Personal Thoughts
From the Paper "In the past few years, the topic of health as it relates to environmental awareness has emerged as a significant concern for global leaders, government officials and the common family. Arsenic, a ubiquitous element found in the atmosphere, soils, rocks, natural waters and organisms, is one of the current leading environmental health issues. Most environmental arsenic problems are the result of mobilization under natural conditions, but man has contributed to the release of arsenic in the environment through mining activity, combustion of fossil fuels, herbicides, and the use of arsenic as an additive to livestock feed."
Abstract The 1980s was the 'International DrinkingWater Supply and Sanitation Decade.' However, drinkingwater supply and sanitation problems persist in developing countries. Further, currently problems are emerging with drinkingwater supplies and sanitation facilities in the developed countries as well.
Abstract The paper explains that many parts of the world have experienced elevated levels of nitrates in their drinkingwater by virtue of past industrial and agricultural practices. The paper provides a review of the relevant literature to determine the effects of nitrates in drinkingwater sources and examines what types of testing are typically done to assess the presence of nitrates, in particular in New Jersey. The paper discusses current and future trends in this area. The paper concludes that elevated levels of nitrates in drinkingwater supplies can result in profound adverse health consequences. People around the world are using their groundwater resources faster than they are being naturally replenished and this has caused further concentrations of any pollutants that might be present.
Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "In a day and age characterized by debates over oil and potential future energy sources, an important fact is being overlooked. By all accounts, fresh water is far more important than oil and people had better pay closer attention to what is happening to their drinking water sources today. According to Roberts (2001), "Water use in the United States averages about 100 gallons of drinking water per person per day, more than just about any other country. A very small proportion of this water per person, approximately two gallons, is actually used for drinking and cooking. We use the majority of the water that comes into our homes for bathing, flushing toilets, doing laundry, watering lawns, filling swimming pools, and washing cars" (p. 64). Throughout the world, people obtain their drinking water from a wide range of sources, and these same techniques are used in the United States."
Abstract The paper investigates many factors relating to open drinkingwater reservoirs such as water purification, toxic chemicals and testing systems. The paper shows the risks faced by Portland's reservoir which include the dumping of prescription drugs, waste from tankers and busses and the threat of radon in the drinkingwater. The paper suggests ways in which the Portland municipality could improve the situation through testing and legislation. It also includes maps of the area to illustrate points.
From the Paper "While the water is safe perhaps it is not sterilized, which means that it does contain chemicals and other killer organisms. The best way to handle this situation is by protecting and regularly monitoring water from the main source so as to eliminate the possibility of potential contamination later on. To purify the water, treatment practices are used to get rid of the pathogenic organisms that are liable to enter into the water in the reservoir. Most of the water treatment techniques and technologies were actually developed several years ago to cure chloera and typhoid. These techniques are still applicable because they can still protect the public today like they have been for nearly a century. However, the new contaminants require new techniques to treat them, such as pathogens."
Abstract This paper examines the fluoridation of drinkingwater, specifically in the United States. It explains that fluoridation began in the early 20th century with the aim of improving dental health and with the introduction of fluoridated water into community supplies in some countries, reductions in the rates of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) among children occurred. The paper looks at how the World Health Organisation, the United States and the E.U. all advocate fluoridation as an effective method of reducing dental caries, and how only the USA, Britain, Australia and Ireland and a few other countries have fully adopted its use in spite of these world health guidelines. The paper also points out how the engineer plays a key role in implementing the use of fluorine and must act responsibly due to its toxic nature and potentially fatal consequences of incorrect use. The paper concludes that the safety and necessity of fluorine in the drinkingwater in America needs to be monitored with more studies and research by qualified, well-funded, scientific groups.
Table of Contents:
Introduction. What is Fluorine?
Fluoridation History
How Fluoridation Works
Why Fluoridate?
The Engineer and Fluoridation
Fluoridation And The Law
Some Interesting Quotes on the Subject of Fluoridation
Conclusions
From the Paper "Fluoride is usually added to water samples in solution form because in powder form (e.g. Sodium Fluoride, Sodium Fluorosilicate, etc.) it is toxic, dangerous to handle and must be stored in dust tight containers. Thus fluorine is often added as hydrofluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6).
This acid is safer because if it is spilt on the skin it can easily be washed off using cold water. This acid is stored in water treatment facilities in tanks. The tanks are lined with corrosion resistant rubber lining. Fluoridation usually takes place after all other treatments of the drinking water have been carried out. It must be done after water has been softened because ions in the water interfere with the fluoride content. The water must be mixed thoroughly before it leaves the facility, as fluoride is toxic in higher concentrations."
Abstract This paper will examine the state of drinkingwater in both a Canadian and American context with the goal in mind of assessing current and future difficulties in drinkingwater supply.
Abstract This paper explains that the direct application of gaseous chlorine from pressurized steel containers is generally the most economical method for disinfecting large volumes of water. The author points out the types and sources of water pollution extend far beyond the ability of this single treatment process; therefore, American consumers should be aware that additional pollutants may continue to be present in their drinkingwater despite the best efforts of water treatment experts to make it safe. The paper suggests that taste or odor problems can be minimized through proper dosages of chlorine at the treatment plant with a residual concentration maintained throughout the distribution system to ensure a safe level at the points of use.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Review and Analysis
Background and Overview
Current Applications
Conclusion
From the Paper "Healthcare practitioners have long recognized that small amounts of toxic substances can sometimes have beneficial effects for humans, and this would seem to be the case with chlorine as well. As a chemical, chlorine is a toxic, corrosive, greenish yellow gas that is irritating to the eyes and respiratory system; it is two and a half times heavier than air. The substance becomes a liquid at -34C (-29F) and was first prepared from hydrochloric acid and manganese dioxide in 1774 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele; chlorine was widely regarded as a compound until research by Sir Humphry Davy showed (1810) that it cannot be decomposed and that muriatic (hydrochloric) acid is comprised of hydrogen and another true element that he named chlorine."
Abstract This paper relates that the negative health effects of lead-contaminated drinkingwater are significant and occur at very low concentrations. The author points out that the primary source for contamination has been identified as corroding plumbing, which means that almost the whole of the developed world is faced with this danger. The paper urges that samples of real-world concentrations of lead in the drinkingwater supplies in the developed world should be taken from residential, commercial, industrial, and public buildings. The author suggests that this information should be used to develop public health policies.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Literature Review
Discussion and Analysis
Summary of Findings
From the Paper "Even at very low levels of lead exposure, individuals can experience measurable and permanent neurological damage. This is especially true for the young. Bryant (2004) contends that children are most susceptible to lead exposure from birth until the age of six. This is consistent with remarks by Watt et al. (1996), who outline the effects of minimal lead exposure to infants via drinking water--from bottle feeding, breast, or directly from the mother's blood before birth. Watt et al. (1996) points out that exposure to low levels of lead in infants has been positively correlated to decreases in intelligence over the course of an individual's life."
Abstract "Las Colonias" are comprised of Mexican immigrants whose dreams were shattered when they realized the promise of the "American Dream" was merely a myth. This paper looks at the hazards of the drinkingwater in this region, and the government's policy in treating this problem. It analyzes whether the treatment is different because it is aimed at an immigrant population group.
From the Paper "When we speak of Third World countries, the vision that comes to mind is usually that of impoverished, yet geographically distant communities, which are a supplemental concern to issues in our own country. However within the United States, Third World conditions exist that affect not only the indigent communities, but the surrounding communities as well. One of the most notable of these is the area along the U.S.-Mexican border known as "Las Colonias"."
Tags: border, drinking, hazard, latinos, mexicans, poverty, safety, texas, water
Abstract An 8-page paper examining contaminated drinkingwater in its western and Third World implications. How economic factors aggravate the problem and affect the ability to find solutions.
Abstract This paper discusses the facts about lead in drinkingwater in terms of United States Environmental Protection Agency standards, sources of the pollutant, environmental and health problems associated with lead, and possible removal treatments.
Abstract This paper discusses the bacteria content and safety of the drinkingwater in Vancouver, Canada. It looks at how the environment can affect one's drinkingwater and what needs to be done to prevent bacteria from entering the water we drink. The paper then discusses what individuals can do to help the community improve the safety of drinkingwater.
From the Paper "Vancouver's water system has experienced problems in the past. For instance, bacteria in the water can be a health risk. Bacteria can affect drinking water if it is not prevented. "Unfiltered surface water supplies have the potential of containing the protozoan pathogens Giardia and Cryptosporidium" (Water 7). In fact, this has occurred in the past such as during the late 1920's. Since this time, environmental concerns have been addressed by many communities in Canada and the United States. Canada is concerned about improving water and sanitation in the region (ADB Taking New Directions). While Vancouver gets much of its water from Eagle Lake and Montizambert Creek, testing for bacteria is required. Samples are tested for bacteria, physical and chemical parameters including metals as well as samples for fecal coliform, total coliforms, and E.coli (2005 Drinking Water ii)."
Abstract According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), methyl tertiary butyl-ether (MTBE) has been used as a component in gasoline blending since the 1970s. Water contamination problems have developed in areas where the chemical is used. Common sources of water contamination by MTBE include leaking underground gasoline storage tanks, components of gasoline distribution systems, leaks and spills from above ground fuel storage tanks and watercraft. This paper discusses the potential health hazards presented by the presence of MTBE in drinkingwater, the programs in effect, as well as the research being conducted by government, industry and private organizations to help manage the use of MTBE in the United States.
Paper Outline:
Introduction
Controlling Legislation
Recent Legislation
Health Effects of MTBE in DrinkingWater EPA MTBE Program at Charnock
Reformulated Gasoline
"60 Minutes" and Other MTBE Press
Conclusion
From the Paper "In October 1996, following the shutdown of the City's Charnock Wellfield, the Southern California Water Company ("SCWC") (another company which supplied water from the Charnock Sub-Basin), closed its wellfield in the sub-basin in order to avoid drawing the contamination toward the SCWC Wellfield. Prior to this shutdown, the Southern California Water Company's two operating municipal supply groundwater wells provided a significant percentage of the drinking water for approximately 10,000 residences and businesses in Culver City and since 1996, the City of Santa Monica and Southern California Water Company have purchased replacement water from the Metropolitan Water District."
Abstract This paper addresses where the world's water sources are located, what classes of contaminants are found in drinkingwater, how it is processed to become safe for human consumption, and lastly, special attention is given to the problem of lead in drinkingwater.
From the Paper "The type of water we generally use in human activities is freshwater. Only 3% of the world's water supply is freshwater and two-thirds of that is frozen, forming the polar ice caps, glaciers, and icebergs. The remaining 1% of the total world water supply is freshwater available as either surface water or ground water; ground water accounts for two-thirds of this amount. Surface water is water that is visible above the ground surface, such as creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes. Ground water is water that either fills the spaces between soil particles or penetrates the cracks and spaces within rocks. Most people get their water from ground water sources. Roughly 9 out of every 10 public water systems. Public water systems operate wells to tap ground water and just over half of the total population served by Public water system drinks water from a ground water source. Millions more get their water from private wells which also tap ground water sources. Ground water systems tend to serve smaller numbers of people, while surface water systems generally serve large populations. The quantity and quality of the world's water supply depends on how we choose to use water. Our use can be consumptive, which means that the water is not returned to nature (such as drinking water), or noncomsumptive. Nonconsumptive use returns water, polluted or not, to the system. Creating hydroelectric power is an example of nonconsumptive use. "
Abstract Historically, the availability of water in South Africa has always been a problem, and this problem is mainly attributed to its geographical and climatic conditions. This paper explains that, out of the 40 million people of South Africa, 40% are deprived of the appropriate supplies of drinkingwater. Both urban and rural settlements are dependent on the scarce distribution of water resources by the state. It discusses how the state, on the other hand, has granted the distribution of the water supplies to a foreign company and has led to an increasing, ultimate deprivation of the water supplies for the poor, who had to choose between bread and water. It explains how this selection led to the outburst of cholera back in the year 2000, killing 300 people and infecting more than a quarter of million people.
From the Paper "In the year 2000, Suez Lyonnaise Des Eaux, a French company, took over the majority of the water supplies in South Africa, and with this French company many other multinationals have also flown in to reap the profits like Vivendi, Saur and Biwater. It is a norm with privatization that state subsidies are reduced and the prices of the utilities goes up. The majority to suffer from the privatization reform is the general public and the poor. This is because the private companies operate under the motive of profit generation rather than the welfare of the public. This profit motive has resulted, in this case, in a four hundred percent increase in the prices of water in South Africa. Where the people who could not afford to "buy" the water were dumped in to intense levels of poverty and the ones who could afford had to tolerate a more expensive standard of living. Poor, for whom it was even hard to live under a tin roof, were the majority of the sufferers. There were many incidents of aggression against the privatization policy and many incidents of breaking the water pipe lines for search of water. However, such aggression was conveniently dealt with force (Gleick et al., 2002)."
