All of the following include signs of unsafe drinking water except:Group of answer choicesWater that is not covered when storedFeeling sick after drinking the water, especially stomach pain or diarrheaWater from a closed containerWater with a different taste

What poses the greatest risk to drinking water safety?Group of answer choicesWater left in the sunWater contaminated with fecesWater from fast-flowing streams or riversWater taken from the ground

Chapter 6: Water Hazards General information Safe drinking-water, sanitation, and hygiene are crucial to human health and well-being.” Drinking unsafe water harms health through illness such as diarrhea. Untreated diarrhea can contaminate groundwater and surface waters used for drinking water, which can make drinking water even more unsafe (WHO, b). Some 829,000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhea as a result of unsafe drinking-water, sanitation, and hand hygiene. Yet diarrhea is largely preventable, and the deaths of 297,000 children aged under five years could be avoided each year if these risk factors were addressed. Where water is not readily available people may decide handwashing is not a priority, thereby adding to the likelihood of diarrhea and other diseases.” Safe and readily available water is important for public health, whether it is used for drinking, domestic use, food production, or recreational purposes (WHO, 2022b). A variety of pathogenic and toxic substances can be found in drinking-water, wastewater, recreational water, and during flooding. This unit discusses many of these substances; however, several are not exclusive to one type of water but can be found in various types. For example, Cryptosporidium is discussed under recreational waters, yet it is also found in contaminated drinking-water, wastewater, and flood water. Additionally, some pathogens are present in both water and food. How many people die each year from diarrhea due to unsafe drinking water, sanitation, hand hygiene? Drinking water Globally, at least two billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with human waste. Microbial contamination of drinking-water as a result of contamination with feces causes the greatest risk to drinking-water safety(WHO, 2022b). In addition to fecal contamination, chemical contamination of water continues to cause a health burden, whether natural in origin such as arsenic and fluoride, or anthropogenic such as nitrate (WHO, b). Although not only found in drinking water, the following contaminants are of major concern: cholera, typhoid, arsenic, and nitrates. Cholera Basic Information Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and remains a global threat to public health. Cholera transmission is closely linked to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Researchers have estimated that each year there are 1.3–4.0 million cases of cholera, and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths worldwide due to cholera. The cholera bacterium is usually found in water or in foods that have been contaminated by human waste from a person infected with cholera bacteria. Cholera is most likely to occur and spread in places with inadequate water treatment, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene (CDC, 2022b). In cholera endemic countries, an outbreak can be seasonal or irregular and represents a greater than expected number of cases.

Match the health effect with the correct drinking water hazard.Group of answer choicesCan cause severe acute watery diarrhea between 12 hours and 5 days after ingesting contaminated food or water. 1 in 10 people who get sick develop severe symptoms such as watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. Loss of body fluids can lead to dehydration and shock.Spreads through contaminated food and water. Antibiotic resistance makes it easier to spread through overcrowded populations. Can cause high fever, fatigue, headache, abdominal pain, and constipation or diarrhea.Immediate symptoms include vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, followed by numbness and tingling of the extremities, muscle cramping, and death. Long-term exposure can lead to skin lesions and skin cancer.Symptoms can include decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, headaches, abdominal cramps, ad vomiting. Children can develop “blue baby syndrome”.

Water that is safe to drink is called potable water.Compare how easily potable water can be obtained from:• waste water (sewage)• ground water (fresh water).[6 marks]Question 7 continues on the next page

Which of the following statements about the safety of water is true?