Ch.3. Water Quality What is WQ?

Physical, chemical, biological characteristics of waterAppropriateness of water properties for a given usage pur-

pose

Water usage?DrinkingOther household usage (shower, gardening, laundry, cook-

ing, etc.)Agriculture IndustryLeisureOthers

WQ criteria: The levels of the constituents (includ-ing pollutants) and other parameters indicating the water quality. The criteria can be setFor inorganic parameters:

○ Anionic components: F, Cl, SO4, NO3, PO4○ Cationic components: All the metals, including heavy metals

such as Pb, Cd, As, Se, Hg, etc.○ Neutral coponents: Si, O2

For organic parameters: TDS, color, COD etc.For (micro)biological parameters: Coliforms, Salmonella,

Viruses etc.For pesticides: Diazinon, Parathion, etc.For radio nuclides: 226Ra, 228Ra, alpha particle activity etc.

WQ standards: Sets of recommended (maxi-mum) levels of the criteria to secure the pur-pose of the water useDrinking water standards

○ WHO, USEPA, EU, ROK (see the Table on the next page)

Surface water standardsGroundwater standards

○ Groundwater quality standard of ROKWQ standard for finfishWQ standard for paddy riceetc

From http://moohee21.com.ne.kr/NCWP.html

Drinking water standards ofThe Republic of Korea

From http://en.engormix.com/MA-aquaculture/articles/aquaculture-water-quality-disease-t1160/165-p0.htm

WQ standard for finfish (Australia)

Potential health effects from ingestion of waterInorganic

○ As: Skin damage; circulatory system problems; in-creased risk of cancer

○ Pb: Infants and children-delays in physical or mental development. Adults-kidney problems; high blood pressure

From http://colonelspeaks.wordpress.com/tag/mass-poisoning/

From http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health10/overview.html

From http://atlas-emergency-medicine.org.ua/ch.12.htm

Arsenic (As) poisoning

Image courtesy of Paul Traughber, M.D., Boise, Idaho.This X-ray shows white bands of lead collected in the growth plates of the knee joints of a child

Lead (Pb) poisoning

From http://www.revolutionhealth.com/articles/x-ray-of-lead-poisoning-in-a-child/zm6084

○ Cd: ‘Itai-Itai’ disease, kidney damage

From http://pollutionpictures.blogspot.com/

○ Hg: ‘Minamata’ disease, kidney damage

From http://healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_health_effects.htm /

Son With Birth Defects Due to Mercury Poisoning

○ F: Bone disease (pain and tenderness of the bones); Children may get mottled teeth.

Researchers say in some villages nearly all adults suffer skeletal fluorosis. China.

From http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1994/102-2/focus.html

From http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=919190

○ NO3, NO2: "Blue baby syndrome" in infants under six months - life threatening without immediate medical attention. Symptoms: Infant looks blue and has short-ness of breath.

From http://www.bluebabysyndrome.org/87/how-to-identify-blue-baby-syndrome/ /

Fingertips get swollen. Medically this is called as “Clubbing

From http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01590/pollution/culturaleutroph.jpg