By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    HIPPA compliance
    How Medical Office Staff Can Make Your Practice HIPAA Compliant
    October 29, 2021
    Everything you need to know about hyaluronic acid treatment
    Everything you need to know about hyaluronic acid treatment
    February 10, 2022
    Which Mushroom Capsules Are Good for Your Health?
    May 5, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    ID-100249250
    8 Months Until ICD-10 Implementation: What to Know
    February 23, 2015
    What To Know About The Palatable Career Of A Dietician
    August 1, 2019
    cloud services
    Evaluating and Choosing Healthcare Cloud Service Providers
    February 2, 2024
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Be Aware of What You Drink: Have You Heard of These 4 Common Water Contaminants?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health care > Be Aware of What You Drink: Have You Heard of These 4 Common Water Contaminants?
Health careWellness

Be Aware of What You Drink: Have You Heard of These 4 Common Water Contaminants?

John Henning
John Henning
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

 

Contents
  • Pathogens
  • Organic Material
  • Inorganic Material
  • Macroscopic Pollutants

Watch what you drink! Do you care about how clean your water is the way you focus on taking eight glasses a day? Well, contaminants are real and don’t wait to see them with your unaided eye. According to The Safe Drinking Water Act, the term “contaminant” refers to any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological matter in water.

As a result, the law describes “contaminant” broadly as “any foreign material other than water molecules.” Your drinking water is reasonably expected to contain in small amounts some contaminants. But again, high levels of these contaminants may be harmful to the body. Therefore this means that the mere presence of contaminants in your drinking water doesn’t pose a risk to your health.

Only some of the many contaminants as defined by The Safe Drinking Water Act above are on the Contaminant Candidate List. The CCL is the first level of assessment for unregulated water contaminants that require further investigation to determine their potential health effects and at which levels they can be harmful. But The Berkey Filters can ensure your drinking water is safe, so you don’t have to worry about suffering health problems due to contamination.

More Read

sleep apnea and diabetes
Can Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment Help Diabetics?
3 Important Tips To Reduce Health Insurance Costs
Why Healthcare Apps Are A Revolution In The Healthcare Industry
What Are The Benefits To Using A Personal Trainer?
You’re the Boss: Manage Your Disease

Below are four general categories of water contaminants that could be in your drinking water and examples of each:

  1. Pathogens

Pathogens may be protozoa, bacteria, or viruses. Bacteria are common in water; only when they multiply in numbers above safe levels, they can contaminate your water. The two most common pathogenic bacteria are E. coli and coliform.

Coliforms are usually present in safe levels in our environment and are sometimes used to detect the presence of other pathogens in water. However, high coliforms levels may also cause harm to the environment.

If E. coli is present, then that means the water has been contaminated with animal or human waste.

Other more dangerous bacteria like Vibrio cholerae are still very present in developing countries. Some strains of this bacteria cause cholera which if not treated can have a 60% mortality rate. Luckily Vaxchora is available, and the added benefit of this vaccine is that it protects you from E. coli also.

  1. Organic Material

These are contaminants that contain molecules with carbon in their structure. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is one common contaminant often detected in unstable organic chemicals. Formerly, MTBE was used as an additive for an air-cleaning gas. Though MTBE is now banned, it may take years before it is removed to safe levels from polluted water systems.

Consuming water contaminated with MTBE may cause lymphoma, leukemia, and tumors in kidneys, testicles or thyroid glands.

  1. Inorganic Material

Inorganic materials, particularly heavy metals such as mercury, copper, arsenic, zinc, and barium are nontoxic in minimal concentrations but may become pollutants when they get concentrated in drinking water due to leaching from waste disposal or industrial accidents.

Contamination by inorganic materials in higher concentrations may cause severe health complications or even lead to death.

  1. Macroscopic Pollutants

Macroscopic pollutants are the only water contaminants that are visible. Macroscopic pollution may include small plastic pellets, wood, and metal. But the most common pollutant is plastic wastes. People often throw plastic waste into large water bodies and may end up in lakes and oceans.

This is arguably the most manageable form of water contamination; however, it is urgent that these large pollutants be removed to prevent disturbance of aquatic ecosystems and pollution.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By John Henning
John Henning is a nutritionist, freelance writer, and food blogger that provides accessible nutrition info to help people live a healthier life. His unique approach to nutrition emphasizes nutrient-dense, whole foods and healthy habits rather than restrictive diets.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Supplements May Improve Memory

August 9, 2011
Image
GeriatricsWellness

Restricting Diet of People 75+ May Not Make Them Healthier

February 27, 2013
symptoms of serotonin
eHealthGlobal HealthcareHealth careNewsTechnologyWellness

Symptoms of Serotonin Imbalances You Need to Know

September 3, 2017
Health careHome HealthSpecialtiesWellness

6 Supplements That Can Help Improve Your Health

May 15, 2019
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?