Introduction

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiucol-smod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat..

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiucol-smod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Water Contamination and Testing (United States and Global)

Safe drinking water is a commodity that not all countries can afford. Many developing countries lack the resources needed to purify their source water and make them safe for the population. Living in the United States, many people take for granted the various efforts that are made to ensure that the public has safe water to drink. The CDC lists numerous contaminants which can infect our water, including microorganisms, disinfectants, and organic and inorganic compounds. Not only is water treatment an important step in protecting public health, but so is additional water testing in order to provide people with the safest drinking water possible. Drinking water in the United States comes from one of two sources: surface water or ground water. Surface water is found in lakes, rivers, and oceans, while ground water is found underground in crevices and spaces between rocks. Treated surface water is one of the most common types of water that Americans use. 1 Surface water is further purified with a disinfectant after treatment before it is available for the population to drink [1]. This method of water treatment applies to public water systems and is under the regulation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but what of water that comes from private wells? Distillation and filtration systems are normally put in place to filter out harmful impurities, but in many cases these precautions are not employed. In addition certain maintenance levels are required in order to keep the water supply safe to drink [2].

Water testing in public water systems involves testing for bacteria and parasites such as Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium. Tests such as lactose fermentation methods can examine the number of coliform bacteria in a water sample. Often times, this is a good indicator of the sanitary quality of the water. Another way that water can be tested is by using a substrate to help detect contaminants. For instance, a substrate can specifically bind to products that particular bacteria may produce, thus detecting contamination [2]. While these methods may be conducted by water companies for public or private water sources, very few accurate test kits can easily be utilized at home. 3 Additonally, many of these water tests can take 24-48 hours for results to be obtained [3].

In most developing countries, water monitoring responsibilities belong to water suppliers or independent agencies. However, most developing countries do not meet the requirements for testing set by the World Health Organization due to lack of resources or time [2]. Because developing countries continue to use water sources that are not tested, dehydration, malnutrition, and waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever are common and are responsible for the death of 1 in 5 children under the age of 5 [1,4]. Low income developing countries are not the only ones that struggle with water contamination. The recreational water sources and popular beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are contaminated by sewage which can lead to more serious water-related illnesses. Although the waters of Rio de Janeiro have been tested, these standard bacterial studies may no longer be sufficient and there may be a need for more specific pathogen testing [3]. Water contamination and safety is a huge problem in most countries. Clean and safe water is essential for human livelihood and happiness. While most countries test some of their water, most of the tests do not meet the guidelines set by the World Health Organization. It is important that we solve this issue of water safety and contamination by creating an economic and time efficient way to test water sources.