Many of you are probably aware that there was a problem with the water supply in Toledo, Ohio earlier this year.  Due to an algae build up in Lake Erie, the water was deemed undrinkable. Residents were told that even boiling it would not make it safe to drink. But the news got even worse when the residents were told that they shouldn’t even bathe in it. Although this was a temporary problem for the area, it got me thinking about the many ways that water is a necessity in our lives and about the areas of the world that deal with water problems similar to this on a regular basis.

One common water contaminant is arsenic. It is estimated that over 200 million people in the world are drinking water that contains levels exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended levels. Many of these people live in Southern Asian Countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, India, and Vietnam. However, several Latin American countries are also experiencing high levels of arsenic in their water. One such country is Peru.

Arsenic can occur naturally in water sources due to exposure to certain metals and volcanic  rocks. However, it can also reach the water supply through human activity such as mining and smelting. Peru is a major supplier of gold, silver and copper to the world market, as well as one of the main producers of arsenic that is used to make pesticides and insecticides around the world. A recent study has shown that this activity may very well have contaminated a large portion of Peru’s water supply. Although poor, rural areas seem to be the most affected, it is disturbing to note that samples taken from the river that runs through Lima, the nation’s capital, also tests high in arsenic content. The most disturbing aspect of the results concerning Lima is that, in some parts of the river, tests showed levels to be 5 times those that are recommended.

Prolonged exposure to arsenic has many detrimental effects to one’s health, ranging from cancer to cardiovascular, neurological, and respiratory diseases. Arsenic has also been proven to have adverse effects on a child’s cognitive and motor development. Because of these facts it is important that countries, like Peru, take advantage of technology that aids not only in testing for arsenic, but also in treating the water to mitigate the amount of arsenic that is in it.

People have long recognized the need for human beings to have access to clean drinking water. In fact, in 2010 the United Nations recognized the need for clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right. As such, all nations must take steps to ensure that their citizens are not denied this basic human right. As a citizen, I must be vigilant in my efforts to keep contaminants from reaching my water supply. As a teacher, I need to make sure that my children are not only afforded adequate amounts of water throughout the day, but also ensure that water is safe for them to drink.

References:

Rush, E., (2013). Water: neglected, unappreciated, and under researched. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition,67(5), 492-495.doi:101038/ejcn.2013.11

George, C., Sima,L., Jahuira,Arias,M., Mahalic, J., Cabrera, L.Z., Danz, D. & Gilman, R.H. (2014). Arsenic exposure in drinking water: an unrecognized health threat in Peru. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 92(8), 565-572. doi:10.2471/BLT.13.128496