Raikin 1

Nicole Raikin

Mrs. Simorka

Honors Chemistry

15 November 2016

Water Contamination

Water contamination is a major issue throughout the world. Pollutants from human waste,

trash, and smog have caused over one billion people worldwide to have limited access to clean

drinking water (Pollution, 2016). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

the United States has one of the safest public drinking supplies, and over two hundred eighty-six

million people drink from its public water sources (“Water-related Diseases and Contaminants in

Public Water Systems”, 2014), but they are still at tremendous risk for contamination. One of the

most common contaminants is the metal, lead (Pb), which is

very dangerous and causes severe health problems.

To truly understand this issue, it is essential to

understand the composition of drinking water. In its

(“Chemical Bonds and
purest form, water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and
Biomolecules”, 2007)
one oxygen atom (H2O), but the water that humans and

animals drink contains many nutrients and impurities (Rosborg, 2015). Some nutrients in

drinking water include: calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and zinc (Zn); some

impurities include: bacteria, nitrates (NO3), uranium (U) and radium (Ra) (Kane, 2016). Most

community water treatment plants do an excellent job in cleaning and removing these toxic

elements from the water supply, but elements, such as lead, can still infiltrate the water and make

their victims very sick (“Community Water Treatment”, 2015).

 Raikin 1

Lead usually enters a person’s drinking water through corroded pipes in houses built

before before 1986. It was often used in

pipes and fixtures, but later The Safe

Drinking Act restricted the amount of

lead allowed in new houses being

constructed (“Water-related Diseases

and Contaminants in Public Water

Systems”, 2014). In water, lead can be (Zarracina,

found in the form lead (II) hydroxide (Pb(OH)2) or lead 2016)
carbonate (PbCO3) (“Lead Fact Sheet”, 2013). Children exposed to the slightest amount of lead

can experience lower IQs, hyperactivity, anemia, seizures, and death (“Water-related Diseases

and Contaminants in Public Water

Systems”, 2014). One of the biggest

lead crises occurred in Flint,

Michigan. The water there water was

very toxic, and the children suffered

from elevated lead levels, rashes, and

other mysterious illnesses (“Flint

Water Crisis: Fast Facts”, 2016).

Lead is dangerous because

inside the human bloodstream, it

(Brochin, 2008)
replaces important metals such as zinc (Zn) through

biochemical reactions (Helmenstine, 2016). It obstructs with

 Raikin 1

other proteins that create genes, and it also changes the shape of these protein molecules so that

they do not adequately perform their main functions (Helmenstine, 2016). Because lead replaces

calcium (Ca), electrical impulses to the brain also no longer function properly and it weakens the

brain's ability to perform higher level processes, such as thinking (Helmenstine, 2016). This is

incredibly treacherous because not only do victims become very sick, but they also lose their

ability to work and make decisions for themselves.

All in all, water contamination brings very devastating illnesses to its victims, and even

the most regulated water supplies have a large risk of containing harmful elements. We must all

do our part to end this important issue. For example, we can clean up trash around lakes, rivers,

and streams, use less harmful chemicals in our gardening and farming, and we can pick up after

our pets (Kane, 2016) . Together we can create a cleaner environment, and provide safe drinking

water to everyone.
 Raikin 1

Works Cited

"Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water." Environmental Protection Agency,

https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-

drinking-water. 2016.

Brochin, Robert, Siena Leone, Dylan Phillips, Nicholas Shepard, Diane Zisa, and Allan Angerio.

“The Cellular Effect of Lead Poisoning and Its Clinical Picture.” Department of Human

Science, Department of International Health: Georgetown University School of Nursing

and Health Studies, vol. 5, no. 2, 2008.

“Chemical Bonds and Biomolecules.” Miami: College of Arts and Science,

http://www.bio.miami.edu/tom/courses/bil255/bil255goods/02_bonds.html. 2007.

“Community Water Treatment.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/public/water_treatment.html. 20 January
2015.

“Flint Water Crisis: Fast Facts.” CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/04/us/flint-water-

crisis-fast-facts/. 17 October 2016.

Helmenstine, Anne Marie. “What Make Lead Poisonous.” About Education,

http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingsworkfaqs/f/leadpoisoning.htm. 24 January 2016.

Kane, Evan. Personal Interview. 12 October 2016.

Lead Fact Sheet.” Water Quality Association,

https://www.wqa.org/Portals/0/Technical/Technical%20Fact%20Sheets/2016_Lead.pdf.

2013.

"Pollution." World Wildlife Fund,

http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/pollution. 2016.
 Raikin 1

Rosborg, Ingegerd, Bengt Nihlgård, and Margherita Ferrante. “Mineral Composition of Drinking

Water and Daily Uptake.” Springer,

file:///C:/Users/admin/Downloads/9783319095929-c2%20(1).pdf. 2015.

“Water-related Diseases and Contaminants in Public Water Systems.” Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention,

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/public/water_diseases.html. 7 April 2014.

Zarracina, Javier. “How Lead Can Get Into the Water Supply, Explained in 5 Charts.” Vox,

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/19/10972256/the-visual-guide-to-lead-poisoning. 19

February, 2016.