CONTAMINATION:

Contamination is the presence of an unwanted constituent, contaminant or impurity in a

material, physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc. Contaminants are biological, chemical,
physical or radiological substance.

 In environmental chemistry the term is in some cases virtually equivalent to pollution, where
the main interest is the harm done on a large scale to humans or to organisms or environments
that are important to humans.

What is Water Contamination?

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities.
Water bodies include for example lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater.

What is the difference between water

contamination and water pollution?

These two words might seem like they mean the same thing, but there’s a slight difference.
Water contamination refers to any situation in which water contains something other than water.
Only pure water can be considered free of any contaminants. Even when water contains trace
amounts of salt or minerals, it’s technically contaminated. As you can see, contamination isn’t
always a bad thing, even though the connotation of the term implies that it is. Contamination
may be something as simple as hard water in your tap or as significant as E. coli outbreaks.
How much contamination must be present for
pollution to occur?
Basically, there is a cutoff point at which water contamination becomes water pollution.

It all has to do with the amount and severity of the contaminant present in the water. For

example, trace amounts of copper are actually beneficial in water, and many treatment

facilities will add this to fresh water to provide some much-needed nutrients to the

people who drink it. However, if copper is present at higher levels, it can seriously

poison anyone who comes into contact with this water. Only when copper is present in a

high enough quantity does it become a pollutant instead of a contaminant.

Causes of Water Contamination

There are a lot of different causes of contamination of water, and they come from a

variety of different sources. Different types of water contamination can cause specific

types of problems, and some causes of contamination may also be causes of pollution.

However, no matter what aspect of water contamination you’re looking into, you can

expect to see some of the same patterns occurring over and over again throughout its

many causes.

Groundwater
Groundwater is the most important type of water on the planet. This is a resource we

often overuse without realizing it, but it’s one we desperately need to protect. We use
groundwater every time we drill a well or pump water from an unseen source for any

purpose.

 Groundwater pollution is often caused by substances that seep through

the soil into the water table below. Although many people are unfamiliar with

groundwater, it’s actually where we get the vast majority of our fresh drinking

water from around the world. This is the water that’s stored beneath the surface

of the planet. Although this might sound as though it’s more protected than

surface water, the opposite is often true.

 Groundwater is much more seriously threatened than surface water in the world

today.

 This type of pollution leads to serious complications in much of our

drinking water. Because of the hydrologic cycle, groundwater eventually ends

up recharging surface freshwater sources with more water. This is what keeps

them from running dry, but when groundwater suffers, these surface water

sources do too. Unfortunately, this means that whatever pollutants are present in

groundwater eventually find their way to our drinking water.

Surface Water
Although surface water isn’t used as regularly as groundwater, it’s still vastly important

and needs to be protected as well. Surface water includes both fresh and saltwater

sources, but for the purposes of this report, we’ll be focusing mostly on freshwater.
  Surface water pollution is often caused by dumping. Surface water is the

opposite of groundwater. It’s any water you can see on the surface of the planet,

including lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, springs, and even the ocean. Freshwater

pollution affects surface water sources quite a lot, but not as much as it affects

groundwater.

 Surface water isn’t used for drinking very often, but when it is, it’s often

contaminated or polluted by substances present in the groundwater that

recharges it.

 This type of pollution leads to further complications down the line. When surface

water is polluted or contaminated, it eventually evaporates into the atmosphere

as part of the hydrologic cycle. When this happens, it takes the contaminants in

the water with it. Clouds form and carry those contaminants across long

distances to be deposited on the earth once again as rain. From there, the

contaminants soak into the groundwater and the whole contamination situation

begins again.

Rainwater
Rainwater is collected in cisterns and used for a variety of purposes. Even when it isn’t

collected, it still falls naturally and waters crops, refills surface water sources, and can

potentially carry contaminants with it.

 Rainwater pollution is caused by the evaporation of polluted water as part of the

hydrologic cycle. As discussed above, contaminated surface water evaporates

and becomes contaminated rainwater. This can be carried for a long time before

it falls on a new location. This is also how acid rain is formed.

 Although we don’t use rainwater for drinking very often, this type of

contamination can seriously affect people who do rely on cisterns to get

 their water. While this is more common in developing countries now than it is in

the United States, there are still people in rural communities who use this water

for farming, gardening, washing, and even sometimes drinking. More and more

factories are beginning to use rainwater for industrial processes as well.

Direct
Direct reasons for the contamination of water are those that can clearly be linked to a
specific type or instance of contamination. Tracing back a type of contamination may

lead to a general problem (“too much lead in the water”), but it may also lead to a

specific cause (“a construction site dumping lead-laced wastewater”). These specific

problems are direct causes of contamination.

 Sewage and septic systems – When sewage and septic systems leak or are

improperly installed, they can be direct causes of water contamination from

human waste. As waste products seep out of these damaged pipes, they end up

in groundwater nearby, where they contaminate it with bacteria almost instantly.

 Construction sites – Construction sites cause a lot of runoff that directly affects

both ground and surface water. These sites rarely take precautions against

chemical runoff, and unfortunately, this means that every time it rains, they’re

contaminating the water in the surrounding area.

 Leaks and spills – These direct causes of contamination may be accidental, but

that doesn’t make them any less troubling. A lot of times, they could have been

prevented by better attention to detail, more thorough assessments, and more

frequent maintenance. Whatever causes these events to occur, however, they

can always be pointed to as a direct cause of any serious contamination issues.

Indirect
Perhaps not surprisingly, indirect causes of water pollution are those that don’t have

specific situations they can be traced back to. These are more general, and while

they’re major problems that need to be addressed, they don’t always have clear-cut

solutions like direct causes often do.

 Factory dumping – Factories dump chemicals and wastewater into freshwater

sources all the time. This is generally not legal anymore, but it still happens

because there are plenty of loopholes and opportunities for them to get around
regulations that have been put in place. Although we can usually look at

contaminated water supplies and say factory dumping must have caused the

contaminants present, we can’t say for sure which factories or when it happened.

Therefore, this is an indirect cause of contamination.

 Agricultural sites – Agricultural sites are like construction sites in that runoff is a

huge part of what makes them a contamination cause. However, unlike individual

construction sites, it’s harder to pinpoint which farm or even which practice might

contribute to contamination in the area. Pesticide contamination is a major

problem that affects a lot of rural water sources, but it comes from almost every

farm in a given area.

 Landfills – Runoff occurs at landfills, too, and so does groundwater contamination

from plastics, batteries, and other chemical-heavy products that have been

improperly disposed of in these locations. It’s crucial to recycle plastics whenever

possible and always take batteries of any kind to a recycling facility. Even printer

ink can be so full of toxic chemicals that it may build up in landfills over time and

lead to chemical contamination of groundwater.

Manmade
Manmade causes of water contamination are either items that have been created by

humans or substances that occur as part of processes performed by humans. If you

don’t think you’d come across it in a body of water in the woods, then it’s probably not a

manmade contaminant. Anything chemical and anything that ends up in a landfill is a

manmade contaminant.

 Hazardous waste – This can come from just about anything, but it usually

comes from industrial processes. Many different types of factories have

dangerous waste materials as their byproducts, and unfortunately, they often

dump them in surface water or on soil that absorbs them into the groundwater

below.

 Chemical dumping – This is very similar to hazardous waste. Chemicals used in

industrial processes as well as in the fuel industry are often dumped in much the

same way, which leads to serious contamination problems. Chemical dumping

isn’t as rampant as it once was, but we are all still feeling the effects of the past

when this was a common activity. Chemicals that were dumped as long ago as

the 1940s are still turning up in water supplies today and may even be
responsible for some of the worse contamination issues in the country.

 Road salts – Although salt is a natural substance, road salts are used by

humans, which makes them a manmade contaminant. When road salts are used

to melt ice on frozen roadways, they are eventually carried into nearby soil and

surface water through melting ice. From there, it doesn’t take them long to

contaminant these water sources with increased salinity, which can be fatal to

freshwater fish and plants.

Natural
Natural reasons for water contamination occur whether humans are involved or not.

Sometimes they may be removed through water treatment, but other times they may be

too severe for simple fixes. Think of natural causes of water contamination as

something you might encounter in water from a stream or pond on a hiking, camping, or

even spelunking adventure.

 Heavy metals – These include lead, arsenic, magnesium, copper, iron, and other

metals that may be beneficial in some small amounts but can be toxic in larger
quantities. These metals are often present in natural rock formations, and even

the most organic sources of water may contain trace amounts simply from

passing over these metallic rocks. However, in some instances—sometimes due

to human intervention and sometimes not—the water becomes more exposed to

these metals, which causes it to become severely contaminated.

 Animal waste – Once again, this is something that’s sure to be present in

organic, natural water sources. Any body of water out in the woods has been

frequented by several animals who have urinated and defecated in it. This is a

type of natural contaminant that can be easily removed by water treatment

facilities and usually by portable water filters, too.

 Nitrates – Nitrate contamination is a major issue in the world today. While nitrates

can be introduced into water through agricultural processes, they also occur

naturally. Anywhere fish live, nitrate levels will rise simply because of the waste

produced by the fish. It’s only when these levels climb that nitrates become a

problem. This can happen in some instances naturally, even without the use of

fertilizer and pesticides that usually lead to nitrate contamination.

 Radioactive – Last but not least, radioactive material may occur naturally in some

contaminated water. Like heavy metals, substances like radon gas sometimes
 occur in nature and may find their way into water sources. Like almost every

other type of natural contaminant, however, this may also be caused by human

interaction with water sources.

Effects of Water Contamination

The effects of water contamination are, for the most part, not quite as extreme as those

related to water pollution, but they may be very similar. Contamination does have the

potential to cause a lot of serious issues just like pollution does, and it’s in these effects

where the two really show their differences. Where pollution is always sure to cause a

lot of widespread damage and destruction, contamination’s effects are sometimes

subtler than that.

Health
Health effects are by far the most widely-noted problem associated with water

contamination. When water contamination issues make the news, they’re almost always

associated with health risks. This is just one reason why it’s vital to pay attention to boil

water advisories in your area and to avoid your tap water if you’re told to.

 Bacteria – The bacteria that can be present in contaminated water range from

beneficial to deadly, and the severity of each bacterial contamination situation

differs from one to the next. Serious bacteria present in water can cause

illnesses like typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, E. coli contamination, and

much more. This is much more common in places where conditions are very
 unsanitary and water isn’t sent to a treatment facility before it’s used in taps, such

as in developing countries. However, in rare instances, this type of contamination

can and does occur in the United States, sometimes with deadly results.

 Parasites – Parasites can easily be found in almost any source of freshwater.

They tend to live in water, where they can be easily ingested by humans and

animals like. From there, they set up shop in different parts of the body—usually

in the digestive system, but not always—and lay their eggs, leading to an

infestation of the body in question. Sometimes parasites can exist in human

bodies without the slightest indication, but in most situations, they lead to

digestive upset, fatigue, fevers, headaches, and sometimes much more serious

health effects. Some parasitic contamination can lead to death, especially in

young children and in the elderly.

 Viruses – Viruses aren’t a lot different from bacteria in water supplies, and they

can lead to many of the same problems. Widespread illnesses, outbreaks, and

epidemics can almost always be traced back to virus or bacteria contamination in

water sources. Once again, this is more common in unsanitary conditions than in

places where water is treated, but it’s not exclusive to these locations.

 Heavy metals – When heavy metals are present in drinking water, they can

cause anything from an upset stomach to seizures and coma depending on their

severity. Most of the time, the results fall somewhere in between, including

vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and high fever. These substances can also lead

to rashes and other types of skin irritation if they’re present in water used for

recreational purposes, like swimming pools or lakes where fishing and sports

commonly take place.

Environment
While pollution usually has more of an effect on the environment than contamination

does, there are still several water contamination effects brought about in terms of the

natural world. Sometimes, the effects of contamination on the environment may be hard

to notice until they’re too extreme to do anything about. This is why it’s crucial for

government organizations as well as concerned nonprofit groups to keep a close eye on

the quality of water in the environment, even if it’s not water humans will be drinking.

 Chemicals – When chemicals build up in environmental water sources, they can

quickly kill the life that relies on that water to be fresh. Rivers where wastewater

and chemical dumping from factories have become the norm see a lot of fish

death as a result of this introduction of harsh chemicals into an otherwise natural

environment. Of course, when fish die, so do the animals and birds that eat them.

In some extreme situations, chemicals have even caused insect populations in

nature to suffer, which has an even greater effect on the animals that exist in

these areas. Everything is connected, and when the water is contaminated, the

creatures that live in and around it will suffer.

 Runoff – Toxic runoff from factories, agricultural sites, construction sites, and

landfills can all cause contamination that seriously damages the environment.

This type of runoff can kill plant life very quickly, leaving the ground bare and the

trees dead and drying up. Serious runoff contamination in surface water sources

can start to kill off fish, insects, and birds as well.

 Nutrient poisoning – Like runoff and chemical contaminants, nutrient poisoning

can cause fish death, too. However, another side effect of nutrient contamination

and poisoning is a buildup of these nutrients in fish that continue to survive.

While they might not die off, they’ll become contaminated themselves, and then

anyone who eats them will suffer from the same type of contamination. This is a
 huge contributing factor in heavy metal poisoning and toxicity from fish that have

been caught in natural locations (as opposed to being raised in fisheries).

 Nitrates – Nitrates are a very serious problem that many people don’t recognize.

Nitrates are a factor of natural waste products, so anywhere waste (be it human

or animal) is present in water, that water is bound to have an increased level of

nitrates. Many of us have been drinking water contaminated with too many

nitrates most of our lives, but young children, the elderly, and

immunocompromised people may be the ones feeling the effects most

significantly. Nitrates can also cause blue baby syndrome, which is a serious and

often fatal condition suffered by young infants.

Economy
Water contamination can seriously affect the economy in places where it’s very

prevalent. While the widespread effects of contamination may go well beyond the

economy, this is one area in which humans will notice these effects the most. Anyone

who relies on clean water for work may suffer greatly from major contamination events.

Here are just a few of the ways this problem can get out of hand quickly in terms of the

economy.

 Housing – When water contamination occurs in a given area, that area is sure to

see some changes in terms of housing and real estate almost right away. For

example, if a serious contamination incident occurs in a city, people are likely to

move away from that city if it doesn’t get cleaned up soon. Even if few people

leave, no one new will be willing to move in if they know the water is seriously

contaminated. Even if the water has been cleaned up, sometimes the stigma
 associated with a place where contamination caused big problems can be

enough to keep new residents away. The value of homes will decrease in this

situation, and real estate will suffer.

 Tourism – Places that rely on their natural or manmade water sources to draw in

tourists have a lot to lose when that water gets contaminated. No one wants to

visit a lake that’s known to contain high levels of lead, for example, so the

economy in the town surrounding it suffers as fewer and fewer people book hotel

rooms, visit local restaurants, and buy gas from gas stations in the area. Even

water parks can be doomed by contaminants. River Country, a water park once a

part of Walt Disney World, even had to close down due to parasitic and bacterial

contaminants in the water.

 Fishing – The fishing industry has already taken a huge hit from pollution and

contamination both, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. People

who fish for a living have found the number of potential fish for them to catch

dwindling more and more over the past several years because of contamination

in fresh bodies of water. This shift in the economy affects people who buy fish for

restaurants, people who eat at those restaurants, the communities surrounding

them, and so on.

Conclusion
Now that you’ve finished reading, you should feel a lot better about your understanding

of the causes of water contamination and its effects, too. You should have a good idea

of what water contamination is (and what it isn’t), as well as how to recognize it when

you come across it. You understand the many different problems that you might

encounter in your own neighborhood or when traveling throughout the country and
beyond. And of course, you now have plenty of knowledge about the effects that you

run the risk of encountering on a daily basis no matter where you are.

So what now? This is a lot of information to think about, and it’s an excellent

start. However, there’s plenty more to learn about water contamination as well as

pollution. If you’re interested in finding out more, there are tons of articles that can help

you get started. As you learn, you may feel inspired to start making changes around

your home, your community, your workplace, and even around the world. If you feel the

urge to improve the quality of water where you live or for people in developing countries,

that’s great! There are plenty of ways you can get involved and start making a difference

right away.

The effects of water contamination and pollution are felt around the world. When you

pitch in to help prevent and clean up these problems, you’re doing something to help

everyone—not just yourself.