Hearing the word ground water, maybe you will imagine water that is fresh, clear, and worth using. But the fact is that in some areas, especially areas with poor sanitation, ground water is at risk of causing disease because it has been contaminated.
Research shows that some areas in Indonesia still have poor groundwater quality. If you think that cooking ground water is enough to be a solution to eliminate contamination, then you are mistaken. Contamination will not disappear just by cooking it. Cooking will only eliminate bacteria and not the contaminants in the ground water.
In fact, if you cook it to a boil, pesticides, nitrates, and lead contained therein will still be present. Precisely when the water is cooked, the volume of water will decrease and make the concentration of contaminants will be more concentrated.
Dangers of Contaminated Ground Water
Clearly water is an important part of daily life. More than half of the composition of the human body consists of water. The body needs to consume enough fluids to get rid of impurities or waste from the body through sweat, urine, feces, and even moisture that comes out when we breathe. The water we drink also serves to replace wasted body fluids. Not only that, water is also important for kitchen activities, for bathing, cleaning the house, and much more.
But if ground water has been contaminated, for example by sea water, parasites, bacteria, chemicals, nitrates, mercury, lead, or feces, it can cause various health problems if it enters the body. Here are some health problems that can arise from consuming contaminated ground water:
- The lead content found in ground water if consumed continuously for several years can cause mental development problems in children and infants. It can even cause hypertension and kidney disorders.
- The content of the Cryptosporidium parasite in ground water is a pathogen that can cause deadly digestive disorders.
- The content of nitrates in ground water if it enters the body, can be converted into nitrite substances. As a result, blood will have difficulty channeling oxygen into the body's organs. Nitrate contaminated water can be a threat in mental and physical development for babies.
- The content of bacteria in contaminated ground water can cause a variety of health problems if it comes in contact with the skin or is consumed, such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, nausea, dizziness, sore throat, abdominal cramps, mouth blisters, liver damage, joint pain and much more .
Some types of contaminated ground water may still be within safe limits. But anyway, it is still recommended to avoid the use of ground water in pregnant women, infants, children, chemotherapy patients, transplant patients, and HIV sufferers. Also avoid using groundwater if you live in an environment with poor sanitation and environmental hygiene.
If you feel that the ground water in your area is safe or clean and only has problems with the taste of the water, try to put the water in the refrigerator, so that the chlorine in it is lost. In addition to this method, you can also buy special water filters. Chlorine itself is a disinfectant or disinfectant that is usually used to overcome the problem of water that is contaminated.
Get around the Consumption of Groundwater
There are many indicators that indicate the level of groundwater pollution. However, simply contaminated ground water you can recognize through physical observation. Signs of contaminated ground water include:
- Water turns muddy or discolored.
- Smelling pungent.
- Has a strange taste.
To avoid and minimize problems with groundwater, consider the following:
- Groundwater storage wells must be far from a landfill or septic tank of at least 250 meters.
- Groundwater storage wells must be made with a certain depth. It is intended that groundwater is not contaminated by surface pollutants.
- Avoid making groundwater storage wells near industrial areas.
- If ground water is stored in a water storage tank, the tank should be closed to prevent entry of animals or other objects.
Once the importance of water in daily life, safety needs to be considered. Ground water that is consumed alone can be bad for health.
Try asking the party responsible for the adequacy of water in your area, to ascertain whether groundwater is still safe or not. And immediately check with your doctor if you experience symptoms, such as nausea or dizziness, after consuming ground water.
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