Although we will be leaving in 5 days’ time, we still need to buy
bottled water to quench our thirst. A classmate of mine bought half a dozen
2-litre bottles to bring back to the hotel. I, on the other hand, am not so
strong so I bought only 1.
Wish I could carry so much…
As I lug my heavy bottle back to my hotel room and set it on the table
where at least three 550ml bottles are waiting patiently in a row to be
refilled, I start to wonder- why do we even need to buy bottled water in the
first place?
After doing a quick bit of research, I found out that the main water
source (the rivers) in China are badly polluted with sewage and other
contaminants such as chlorine, lead, mercury, nitrates, bacteria and
microorganisms.
In a bid to disinfect the water, the Chinese departments of water works
add more chlorine to the water. However, when ingested, inhaled or absorbed by
the skin (through bathing), chlorine can cause a “significant increase in certain
types of cancer, asthma and skin irritations.” *
There are several other dangers that the other contaminants can cause. Appended
below is a quick summary of the contaminants and their harmful effects.
·
Lead
-
Poisonous to humans, even in micrograms
-
Lead poisoning can result in increased
blood pressure, colon cancer, kidney dysfunction and anemia in adults
-
In children, it can cause permanent
damage to the nervous system, hinder cognitive and physical development and
even trigger violent behaviour
·
Nitrates
-
Interferes with the blood’s
ability to carry oxygen, this leads to a lack of oxygen (hypoxia)
-
It can affect breathing
patterns and in the long term, cause muscle soreness
·
Bacteria and microorganisms
-
Can cause diarrhea, vomiting
and cramps
-
Lethal to those who have a
weak immune system
And if you think it’s safe to drink from bottled water, there has been a
case where a Taiwanese multinational brand was discovered to have used ordinary
tap water for its bottled mineral water. However, I should think that if you
buy bottled water from reputable brands, you should be quite safe.
In my opinion, for those of us who have potable tap water, we should be
thankful for that. And even if we’re drinking tap water or bottled water, let’s
all just be grateful that at least, we still have water to keep us going.
Cheers to water!
Thanks for reading!
Best regards,
Marianne
Be sure to stay hydrated!
________________________________________________________________________
Author’s note:
Author’s note:
References
(2012). WATER QUALITY. Retrieved on
06 October 2012 from PureLiving-Indoor Environmental Solutions at http://www.purelivingchina.com/learning-center/water-quality/
What Happens if Cells do not get
enough oxygen. Retrieved on 06 October 2012 from answers.com at http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_Happens_if_cells_do_not_get_enough_oxygen
Picture of man carrying bottled water
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