Water is one of the most important things people consume daily, and it’s no secret that their bodies need it. The problem with water today is not just about how clean it is but also how contaminated it has become due to poor management practices in many cities and countries worldwide.
How Does Contaminated Water Impact Your Reproductive Health?
There are many ways that contaminated water can impact your reproductive health. It can cause you to have an adverse reaction during pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirths, and low birth weight babies.
In fact, one study published on the NCBI website found that women who drank from a well with high levels of arsenic were more likely to report having had a miscarriage or stillbirth than those who drank from wells with lower levels. The Federal Drinking Water standards say that a safe level of arsenic in drinking water is 10 micrograms per liter.
Another study found that when pregnant women drank water with high nitrate levels before getting pregnant or during the first trimester, their chances of having a baby born with birth defects increased.
All the numbers hint at how contaminated water can impact your reproductive and overall health. Hence, it is vital to take necessary measures to prevent water contamination and drink water only from clear water.
The Connection Between Contaminated Water and Infertility
- Infertility. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 2 billion people drink water contaminated with harmful bacteria, parasites, or viruses worldwide. A recent study including 50,000 births in Minnesota concludes that PFAS in drinking water can lead to higher infertility rates and other birth defects.
- Miscarriages. The CDC has found that women who live in areas with high levels of lead or other heavy metals in their drinking water are more likely to have miscarriages than those who don’t. For the unversed, a pregnancy loss before 20 weeks is termed miscarriage.
- Stillbirths and low birth weight babies: Studies show a link between contaminated water sources and stillbirths. Infants born from mothers who drank contaminated water during pregnancy may also be more likely to have developmental delays later on and lower IQ scores compared with kids whose moms didn’t drink any bad stuff during pregnancy.
The Connection Between Contaminated Water and Pregnancy Complications
Pregnancy complications can be a scary thing to experience, especially if they’re unexpected and you aren’t prepared for them. Pregnancy complications can include preterm labor, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy; the list goes on.
The causes of these problems are often related to poor nutrition or exposure to toxins in your environment. For example, if you’re drinking contaminated water when you’re pregnant and it contains lead or other heavy metals, those toxins will get absorbed by your body through the skin or digestive tract and passed on to the baby.
Many examples of such instances have occurred in the past, and one of the most infamous incidents is Camp Lejeune. Camp Lejeune was supplied contaminated water between August 1953 and December 1987. The ATSDR studied the connection between water exposure at Camp Lejeune and birth defects.
The study found a positive correlation, confirming that children born to pregnant mothers during the mentioned dates at Camp Lejeune are at a higher risk of birth defects and childhood cancers. Many people have filed a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit to fight this negligence.
If you or a loved one faced such troubles due to exposure to contaminated water, you can file the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit and fight for the right compensation. Look for an attorney or a law firm to help you with the case. Many law firms also offer a free consultation to ensure you have a strong case.
Like many law firms, TorHoerman Law, LLC offers free consultation on the Camp Lejeune lawsuit. The free no-obligation consultation is meant to evaluate a case’s strength and whether it will be worth fighting for.
Contaminants in Water That Affect Reproductive Health
The following are some of the most common contaminants in water that can impact your reproductive health:
- Bacteria: Bacteria are microscopic organisms that live in soil and water, as well as on plants and animals. They help break down dead matter into nutrients for plants to grow. But they can also cause infections in humans if they enter our bodies through an open wound or cut, especially if the water is contaminated with sewage.
- Fungi (yeasts): Fungi are single-celled organisms that live on dead organic matter such as leaves or tree bark. They don’t need sunlight like plants because they get their energy from decaying organic material instead of photosynthesis.
- Viruses: These tiny particles cannot be seen without magnification but can be spread through contact with infected bodily fluids, such as blood or saliva from someone bitten by an animal carrying the rabies virus. For instance, Zika is a virus that can be passed on to babies. Around 5–15% of infants born to women with Zika virus infection during pregnancy have reported several Zika-related complications.
Prevention and Solutions for Contaminated Water
If you are concerned about tap water quality, investing in a water filter is best. Some filters can be installed under the sink, and others must be attached to a faucet. The downside of using a filter is that they do not remove all contaminants from your drinking water.
However, they help remove harmful chemicals, such as lead and mercury, from municipal supplies by filtering out sediments and bacteria before they reach your glass or pitcher.
If you don’t have access to filtered water, there are still things you can do:
- Don’t drink directly from the tap. Instead, use a bottle or glass and make sure it’s clean. You don’t want bacteria in your mouth while sipping on something that looks so fresh but may contain harmful contaminants like lead or arsenic.
- Avoid cooking with hot tap water because heating the liquid can cause more chemicals like chlorine, which isn’t good for anyone, to evaporate into the air around us instead of being washed away down our drains where it belongs. This means less exposure when we’re cooking, too, which means better health outcomes later.
Conclusion
We hope that you’re convinced that contaminated water is a serious issue affecting our health and well-being. The good news is there are ways to prevent and treat the effects of contaminated water on your reproductive health.
For example, if you live in an area with high levels of lead or arsenic in the water supply, consider installing a filter at home or switching over entirely to bottled water, which is free from these contaminants. Another option would be using alternative sources such as rainwater harvesting systems or collecting drinking water from natural springs nearby.
