Clean water is a necessity for the proper functioning and development of the body and implicitly the brain. The risk of contamination has increasingly arisen due to many factors ranging from pollution to changing weather patterns.
The effects on drinking water mostly relate to its purity and this brings in many concerns for the safety and health risks. Dealing with water quality problems is quite difficult and requires some preparation and know-how.
Components in Drinking Water That Affect Brain Function
There is quite a list of elements that have the potential to negatively impact the way in which our brains work. Some of them can be found in drinking water and pose some danger.
Lead Contamination
Lead in drinking water is maybe one of the most recognizable and feared contaminants. Much research has been conducted on lead and its harmful effects such as impairing brain development, vomiting, difficulties learning, and in some cases seizures.
Lead in drinking water is a serious issue and must be treated accordingly and without delay. You can delve deeper and read up on the signs of lead contamination in your water source to make an informed decision. Children are especially affected by lead, as their brains are just starting to develop. Lead, even in small quantities can be very dangerous and its effects last for a lifetime.
Pesticides in The Water Source
Ordinarily, pesticides are a more common occurrence for wells as groundwater is the main source and it can easily come into contact with pesticides from the farming industry. Naturally, such contamination will have lasting health effects, especially if exposed to large quantities of pesticides without noticing.
Some of these health issues can span from physiological effects like affecting kidney or liver function, and birth defects, to damaging the nervous system. The problem with well water is that it’s up to the owner to clean it as it doesn’t fall under the responsibility of the city. In this case, the serious risk to brain development due to pesticides has to be dealt with promptly.
Chemical Spill in Drinking Water
It’s not at all uncommon for chemicals to spill into drinking water sources and cause all manner of havoc. Sometimes these spills do go unnoticed or undeclared for a while and further exacerbate potential health risks that the consumer will face.
Chemical spillage can be responsible for a slew of health aggravations, and even death. Milder cases, if we can call them such, can in fact pose dangers to brain development and have adverse neurological effects. Children are especially vulnerable to such perils as they are more susceptible to developing long-term health problems.
Truthfully, there is not a lot of data collected that would help in dealing with this issue or limit the chemical concentration found in water sources. There are still undergoing studies and research to find potential solutions.
Aquatic Neurotoxins
As it turns out, not all drinking water problems are man-made, and nature still exhibits some risks all on its own. Waterborne neurotoxins can pose a risk to drinking water safety and this usually comes in the form of algae that grows within the water source itself.
Algae bloom can be unpredictable but their effects on the human body have been assets over many years. What has been found were increased risks of developing neurological conditions such as Dementia, Parkinson’s, or Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly enough, blue-green algae can be found in all sorts of water sources not just seas, but rivers and lakes as well.
Neurotoxins Derived From Mold
Blue-green algae are but one source of natural toxins that severely affect water quality, mold being a second. The right conditions lead to mold formation and even small amounts of spores can be detrimental to one’s health.
Since spores are so small it’s very easy for them to contaminate both air and water. Continued exposure to such spores may cause cognitive impairment that manifests in irritability, numbness, and even memory loss.
Conclusion
Water contamination is a serious threat to one’s health and that includes the many effects it can have on the brain. Modern years have brought about many technological advancements and some of them gave contributed to improving water quality. However, there still seems to be much more left to go, as new problems arise and new solutions must be discovered.