Water pollution occurs when water is contaminated by waste, harmful substances, or microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Polluted water certainly cannot be consumed and used for cooking or washing food because it can cause health problems.
Water pollution is generally caused by human activities. For example, industrial waste or chemical substances, the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in the agricultural sector, disposal of livestock manure and animal feed residues, to the habit of littering.
When polluted water is consumed or used for daily purposes, it can increase the risk of various health problems
Several Types of Germs Cause Water Pollution
The following are some types of germs that can cause water pollution and the accompanying health problems:
1. Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A virus is the virus that causes hepatitis A. A person infected with this virus will experience symptoms in the form of yellowish eyes and skin, fever, no appetite, and discomfort in the right side of the abdomen.
These symptoms do not appear immediately after infection, but several weeks after. In addition to contaminated water, the hepatitis A virus can also be spread due to poor sanitation, poor personal hygiene, or direct contact with people who have been infected.
2. Salmonella
Salmonella is a bacterium that causes typhus. This disease can cause gastrointestinal disorders characterized by symptoms, such as abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.
Generally, these symptoms will last for 4-7 days and risk making the sufferer dehydrated. To prevent dehydration, you should meet the needs of water so that lost body fluids can be replaced.
3. Shigella
Shigella is a bacterium that can cause the infectious disease shigellosis, a form of dysentery. A person who is infected with this disease due to water pollution, can show symptoms in the form of diarrhea that is more watery and sometimes accompanied by blood, fever, and stomach cramps.
This disease can be transmitted when consuming water and food or touching objects that have been contaminated with bacteria Shigella.
4. Escherichia coli
Bacteria E. coli generally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals. However, some types of these bacteria can also cause indigestion.
You can become infected by drinking or cooking using water that has been contaminated with bacteria E. coli. Symptoms shown due to infection with this bacterium are severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.
The water you use for drinking, bathing, or cleaning objects may look clear and clean. However, that does not mean the water is not contaminated with viruses or bacteria. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the water you use for daily needs is free of disease-causing germs.
To protect yourself from the effects of water pollution, you can take several precautions, such as drinking clean and treated water, using a water filter, avoiding swallowing pool water while swimming, trying to eat hygienically managed food, and washing your hands with soap and running water. .
Water is a basic need of every living creature. Therefore, it is important to prevent water pollution. If you experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting after consuming water that is not guaranteed to be clean, consult a doctor so that appropriate treatment can be carried out.