A very contemporary issue
that has cropped up in recent times is the ph of drinking water. PH levels in
drinking water have become a very grave issue and many agencies are looking
into it very deeply. However, there are still numerous places where this
incidence is not being addressed as urgently as it should. To give a basic
insight of what it is and how ph of drinking water is causing harmful effects
on our body, let us take a deeper look.
What do we really mean by PH level?
PH is the measurement of
the hydrogen ion concentration in a diluted solution. Usually, by PH of the
water, we mean the acid-base equilibrium in natural water. The Ph level ranges
from 0-14, 7 being neutral while below 7 is acidic and above 7 is alkaline. Ph
of drinking water should range from 6.5 to 8.5.
With this brief idea of
what is Ph level and what
should be the desired ph of drinking water, we move on to see some of the
effects of ph level on water and how it happens.
What factors affect the Ph of water?
There are a few factors
which directly affects the ph level of drinking water such as:
1. Temperature
2. Carbon Dioxide concentration in water
3. Acid Rain
4. Dissolved Minerals
5. Wastewater
These in turn indirectly
affects the health of the human beings who consume this infected or
contaminated water on a daily basis. We shall look into some of those health
effects.
Impact of Ph level of water on Health
Skin Diseases – When the Ph of drinking water is elevated than
11, it can be a cause of many skin diseases and even affect the eye and the
mucous membrane. Ph below 4 can also cause irritation of the skin. But a higher
ph level is more harmful as it can worsen existing skin problems.
Lead-exposed or corrosive
water - Acidic water can
corrode plumbing and pipe systems and result in the leaching of heavy metals in
the water. Consumption of such contaminated water can lead to many neurological
or reproductive problems such as miscarriages, seizures or hearing loss.
Gastro-intestinal
Problems – Consuming
lead-tainted water can cause stomach upset and other serious abdominal related
diseases. For example, Nausea, diarrhea or vomiting can be caused by water
which is overexposed to zinc or copper.
Effect of Aquatic Life
and its indirect effect on us -
If ph levels of water surfaces go below 4.5 or above 10, it can lead fish to
die and affect other aquatic wildlife negatively. Not only this but since our
major source of drinking water comes from surface water bodies, this
contaminated water can indirectly harm us by having toxic effects like high
ammonia or increased bacterial or parasitic disease-causing micro-organisms.
