Water quality

Impact on human health and food
The contamination of drinking water and food with microbiological agents can cause a variety of communicable diseases, such as hepatitis A, salmonellosis or shigellosis.

In Europe, microbiological contamination of bathing water results in over two million cases of gastrointestinal diseases annually. Nitrate concentrations of groundwater in several areas across Europe with intensive agriculture were found to exceed guideline levels. These levels were established to protect infants from serious, life-threatening diseases (for example, methaemoglobinemia).

Concentrations of arsenic found in water can also lead to health problems such as skin cancer.

Impact on plants and animals
The lack of sufficient oxygen (due to organic waste pollution or the presence of nitrates and phosphates in water) can cause the death of fish and other forms of aquatic life.

Chemicals such as inorganic and organic compounds, oil, gasoline and pesticides harm fish and other aquatic life and depress crop yields. Sediment (insoluble particles of soil suspended in water) clouds water, inhibits photosynthesis and destroys the aquatic food chain.