drinking water contamination
Poisoned municipal tap
Drinking water contamination is the presence of harmful substances in water intended for human consumption.
Contaminants include bacteria, viruses, heavy metals like lead, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and naturally occurring minerals like arsenic.
Sources range from aging pipes to agricultural runoff to inadequate treatment.
The Flint crisis brought drinking water contamination into national headlines.
Testing and treatment standards exist to prevent illness, but failures occur.
- pollutedMade impure by contaminants
- toxicCapable of causing harm
- leadDense metal, symbol Pb
- lead pipesToxic metal conduits
- heavy metalsDense metallic environmental contaminants
pipes · water main break · bacteria · unsafe · tainted · sewage · runoff · chemicals · boil · boil water advisory · alert · flint · Camp Lejeune · arsenic · chlorine · nitrates · well · groundwater
- pollution effectsdead zones, fish kills, algal blooms, eutrophication, oxygen depletion
- water pollutionsewage, industrial waste, algal bloom, toxic waste, oil spills
- environmental harmair pollution, water pollution, pollution, oil spills, acid rain
drinking water contaminationwater purity
Cleanliness of drinking supply
safe drinking water · potable water · pure water · purified water · water safety
drinking, contamination, drinks, drinker, drinkers, drinkable, undrinkable, waters, watery