Effects of Water Pollution on Humans

The subject of water pollution encompasses an enormous field of study. It involves biological and biochemical aspects such as diseasecausing organisms and different chemical contaminants. These diverse components tend to alter the environment. Since Americans now spend more than ten billion dollars a year on medical problems caused by outdoor pollutants (Grove 517), whatever has an affect on the environment also has direct implications for human welfare.

Water pollution can be defined as anything, physical or chemical, which affects the natural condition or intended use of water (Wilber 3). Obviously then, any degree of pollution is respective of the intended function of a particular body of water: for instance, water judged too polluted for drinking, might be considered suitable for agricultural purposes. In general though, natural bodies of water are considered polluted if they give off offensive odors, are highly turbid, or are brownish in color (Wilber 67).

The different materials which cause water pollution can be broadly classified into three categories (Wilber 7). The first group, organic pollutants, generally consists of carboncontaining substances which often originate with living organisms (Wilber 7). The second group, inorganic pollutants, includes noncarbon contaminants (Wilber 7). The third and final category, miscellaneous water pollution, includes physical pollution and radioactive pollution (Wilber 7).