There are various essential elements for the development of life throughout the planet, highlighting in this case water, it is a substance present in all living organisms as well as vital for the conservation of the balance of man with the natural environment, below we will highlight the Characteristics of Drinking Water for humanity, being known for being the vital liquid and suitable for human consumption.
Drinking Water
The planet earth is made up of a great variety of natural resources that are necessary for the maintenance of the life of all living beings (plants, animals, humans and microorganisms); one of the most important is water, it is a transparent, odorless and colorless liquid composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen (H2O). They make up 70% of the entire earth's crust and it is the most abundant element on the entire planet; They also represent one of the largest environments in the world, constituting diverse aquatic ecosystems rich in biodiversity of species.
Water has three states that are solid, liquid and gas; solid in the form of ice, for example glaciers, icebergs, located in the north and south polar regions of the planet; gaseous, like steam being completely invisible but participating in natural cycles (water cycle) in the planet earth system, in addition to collaborating with the atmospheric stability of the planet and liquid, which represents the largest proportion of the bodies of water distributed according to their nature salty (seas, oceans, reefs, among others) and sweet (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, among others). The three states of water are responsible for intervening in the balance of nature, participating in important biochemical processes for the conservation of life on the planet.
Liquid water is represented by approximately 70% that covers the earth's crust, according to studies carried out, 96,5% is attributed to the salt water of the oceans, 1,74% is equivalent to glaciers and polar ice caps, a 1,72% represents underground deposits, while the rest, approximately 0,04%, refers to lakes, reservoirs and springs. The latter encompasses that optimal water for human consumption known as drinking water, with a small percentage distributed in some countries on different continents but noting that there are regions that do not have access to this type of natural source.
Drinking water is one that is considered suitable for human consumption free of particles that can compromise health, it can be consumed directly, it is also used to wash and prepare food. It represents a liquid that complies with European Union regulations requiring that the liquid for human consumption must have a low content of salts, minerals and ions (sulfates, chlorates, nitrites, ammonium, calcium, phosphate, arsenic, magnesium, among others), in addition to having a neutral or slightly basic pH between 6,5 and 9,5.
There are some reservoirs and freshwater lagoons suitable for human consumption, but drinking water is normally made drinkable through processes that guarantee that it is free of bacteria, viruses, and pathogenic microorganisms, among others; they are also responsible for guaranteeing the absence of suspended particles and organic substances. All this means using media purity methods to ensure that it is a liquid suitable for free and daily consumption.
Drinking Water in Nature
It is well known that water is the universal solvent used by society, it is composed of numerous elements and substances dissolved in it such as sulfates, chlorates, nitrites, ammonium, calcium, phosphate, among others; These types of minerals are not seen with the naked eye but are responsible for modifying its taste, color and smell; Being alterations, they can represent a danger to the human body, since their origin can be from natural sources such as contact with the ground and runoff, or from sources manipulated by man acting as pollutants.
The water found in the various regions is limited to rivers, lakes, lagoons, among others, there are very few countries that have reservoirs or springs with the optimal liquid for consumption. Therefore, drinking water is not very abundant on the planet, man has had to create various mechanisms that allow its purification, because for the development of a community, urban planning or society it is linked to public health, so it is an essential element in the advancement of humanity.
Many cases of epidemics and intoxications have been present in the history of man due to infectious substances found in bodies of water near cities or communities. For this reason, today the contamination of water, soil and air are one of the main threats to drinking water in the world; since they have caused the loss of freshwater aquatic ecosystems and reduced access for consumption, therefore it is predicted that in the future one of the main crises will be the scarcity of water, due to the fact that water from the seas and oceans They are not suitable for consumption by terrestrial living beings.
Drinking Water Characteristics
Water has different characteristics depending on the type or region in which it is found, for example river water has different properties than salt water from the ocean, but in the case of drinking water it has specific properties because they are used for consumption. and have implications for human health, so they control the components that are part of them. Taking into account the quality of the liquid to be used by people, some of the necessary characteristics are highlighted below:
be clean and safe
The water used for human consumption and for food preparation must guarantee the low probability of acquiring infectious diseases such as cholera, typhus, leptospirosis, amebiasis, among others; and even those non-infectious diseases such as methemoglobinemia. It is one of the main factors for the proper consumption of the liquid, since there are many sources of contaminated water that spread diseases to neighboring cities.
Colorless
Water is a colorless liquid par excellence, the presence of any coloration may be indicative of some foreign agent that diminishes its quality; therefore, it must be transparent, although a whitish color is sometimes observed and this is attributed to the use of chlorine during its treatment.
odorless
An odorless substance does not have an odor, in the case of drinking water it should not have anything in its composition that generates an odor in it. Sometimes a fetid or rotten odor can be highlighted, this is attributed to the pipes in which it circulates, so it is recommended to maintain strict maintenance of them.
bland
The word tasteless is a reference to tasteless, drinking water should not have taste, if it has any, it is attributed to the presence of elements that alter its chemical composition.
Free of Suspended Elements
The elements in suspension present in the water can be minerals, ions or cations that alter its property, sometimes when moving through the pipes a small cloudiness is observed after a short time it disappears, if not, it is due to the presence of some substance in her.
Contaminant Free
Water is a very sensitive liquid that is easy to alter, so organic contaminants (pesticides, remains of feces, among others), inorganic (minerals and ions) or radioactive contaminants (industrial waste) must be controlled. Therefore, the contact that the liquid has with the different surfaces and the particles that can adhere to it must be taken into account.
Control of Gases and Salts
In water there are dissolved gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen; when purifying the water these gases are weakened and dissociated. Some of them are added to the liquid through contact with the soil and their participation in biochemical cycles, but their concentration can be increased by certain contaminating agents.
It should not contain pathogenic microorganisms
Pathogenic microorganisms are responsible for causing diseases to living beings, they can be viruses, bacteria, protozoa and fungi present in the water; for this case exhaustive tests of the concentrations of bacteria in the liquid must be maintained. At present it represents an important factor, since once affected it can hardly be purified for consumption, it is advisable to eradicate the agent to avoid expansion to communities and cities.
Potabilization Process
The purification of water is the action of freeing the water from foreign agents, making it optimal for human consumption. This treatment is carried out in the purification plants, fulfilling the following phases to be highlighted:
- Water collection from natural sources
Natural water sources often come from reservoirs, springs, lagoons and even underground, the latter are recommended for presenting a low degree of contamination. Electric pumps are used that are responsible for collecting the water and transporting it, all this is done through a series filtering system of bars of different sizes that retain the solids and particles present.
- Coagulation and Flocculation
In this second phase, the alteration of the physical state of the substances present is expected, doing this through the addition of chemical products capable of converting foreign agents into particles that can be separated by sedimentation. Allowing to eliminate algae, plankton, among others. The chemical substances used, known as coagulants (metal salts) and flocculants (polymers of solids), can produce an odor and taste in the water.
- Sedimentation
It is considered as the process that is responsible for separating the sediments present in the water, causing them to accumulate at the bottom of the surface to finally be separated by the action of gravity, filtering or some other techniques. During this procedure, the flocs that are in the water are eliminated.
- Filtration
Water purification systems are equipped with a set of filters or porous surfaces that are responsible for reducing the turbidity of the water and eliminating any other residue from parasites and microorganisms. In this case, activated carbon can be used, appropriate for its porous properties and chemical inactivity.
- Disinfection
The disinfection stage is focused on eliminating pathogenic microorganisms that cause diseases that are found in the water. In addition to eliminating toxic substances harmful to people such as zinc, chromium and lead. Chlorine is added to certify the absence of bacteria in the liquid.
Drinking water is a system that is accessible to all people, there are regions that do not have direct contact with drinking water sources or an adequate treatment of drinking water, but with natural sources of fresh water. In this case, a simple and homemade purification system is offered, it is to boil the water before being consumed; Through this process, it is guaranteed that the organisms present (viruses, bacteria and microorganisms) are eliminated by the high temperatures. After boiling the water, they are consumed and used to wash food.
In this case, two terms potabilization and purification stand out, being completely different but confused in some cases, the latter refers to the treatment of wastewater in towns and cities to later be reused for other purposes but not consumed, in this way it is It manages to reduce the contamination of the body of water and reduces the chances of diseases.
Importance of Drinking Water
Water represents 60% of body weight, being the largest component of it, performing a variety of vital functions, such as the construction of cells, part of all body fluids transporting the nutrients necessary for the human body, it is also responsible for eliminate body waste through urine and by controlling the body temperature evaporated through sweat. Observing each of these characteristics reflects the importance of water for human beings, reinforcing the consumption of the vital liquid.
It is used directly to drink, cook, wash the food that will be consumed. Emphasizing that they are also used when showering and watering the plants, in some countries different treatments are carried out depending on the purpose of the liquid, those obtained by pipes do not present a treatment as rigorous as mineral water (bought in containers) is used to drink.
It is considered a fundamental element for industrial processes because they are part of the operational treatments, mainly for food companies, because the food received from the field is handled with treated or recycled water, so it must be subjected to a stage of sanitation before handling. They are also used for the preparation of food and beverages, it is part of the manufacturing process of medicines, some chemical products, hospital cleaning, among others.
The importance of drinking water is relevant in different aspects of society such as economic (distribution and production of products), social (liquid consumption), health (maintenance of the human body), among others. Currently there is concern about drinking water being a limited resource, few countries have direct water sources for its consumption, presenting a great crisis, due to the fact that a high percentage of people who die from dehydration or unsuitable consumption of the liquid.
In addition, contamination factors easily influence, being easier to contaminate a liter of water than to treat it to be fit for human consumption again; This is due to the fact that water is an element that is very sensitive to toxic and external agents that can alter it, therefore the rate of contamination of the liquid is increasing throughout the world. Influencing the demand of billions consumed in the cities, causing the investments of purification to be greater, due to the various altered aquifer ecosystems.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) presents a high incidence and morbidity related to diarrheal diseases and some other conditions, due to the consumption of unfavorable water for health. Therefore, it is important to maintain strict water care, reduce the negative impact on society and thus reduce the consequences on people's health.
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