Your body is mainly made up of water, which helps to lubricate your joints, regulate your body temperature, and more. You probably don’t give much thought to the water you drink, but the quality of that water can have a significant impact on your health. There are multiple ways your Cape Coral, FL, water could become contaminated, and we’ll discuss four contaminants that affect your water below.
How Does Water Become Contaminated?
Water naturally dissolves materials and carries them with it, and groundwater naturally has dissolved minerals and gasses that it picks up through rocks and soil. This ability makes it easy for humans to contaminate water, even if the soil has the capacity to absorb and remove most of the contaminants. Below are four types of contaminants commonly found in drinking water.
Heavy Metals
Heavy metals can find their way into your drinking water from many sources, including cement plants, natural mineral deposits, and household plumbing. Those exposed to enough heavy metals can develop health issues ranging from anemia, cancer, and organ damage. Heavy metals include arsenic, lead, nickel, mercury, and more.
Fluoride
While fluoride is helpful in the prevention of tooth decay, excessive levels can cause a condition called skeletal fluorosis. Skeletal fluorosis causes tenderness and pain of the joints and bones and will cause tooth discoloration or tooth pitting during their formative period.
Nitrates
You can find nitrates in chemical and animal fertilizers, animal waste, and human sewage that contaminate water through the movement of groundwater and water run-off. Nitrates and nitrites are dangerous as they reduce the capability of the blood to carry oxygen, some symptoms of which include blueness of the skin and shortness of breath.
Organic Chemicals
Organic chemicals enter groundwater and contaminate wells through surface water run-off, waste disposal, spills, and other means. You’ll find organic chemicals in paints, pesticides, dyes, disinfectants, and many other sources.
Make an investment in your water, your health, and your quality of life. Contact Lee County Plumbing & Well Service today for all your water treatment and home water filtration needs.
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