Water testing can tell you the quality of your drinking water if it contains contaminants. Contaminated water can cause health problems, so it's important to know what the water purification testing results mean.
There are a number of potential health consequences associated with chemical contamination in drinking water. The first and most obvious is that it can be dangerous to drink contaminated water. Drinking water that contains high levels of toxins can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other serious health problems. In some cases, these toxins can even lead to death.
Another potential health consequence of chemical contamination in drinking water is reproductive toxicity. Exposure to chemicals from drinking water can potentially harm the reproductive systems of people who drink it regularly. This includes both men and women, young and old, pregnant women and mothers nursing infants. Some chemicals may even be harmful enough to cause birth defects or infertility in children exposed in utero.
Finally, chemical contamination of drinking water can also lead to other health problems including skin irritation and respiratory illness. In particular, exposure to certain chemicals found in drinking water can increase the risk of developing asthma symptoms or lung cancer.
Some contaminants are dangerous even at very low levels. Lead, for example, is a heavy metal that can accumulate over time in the body and lead to serious health problems such as neurological damage and cancer. Other contaminants, like nitrates and bacteria, may not have any immediate health effects but can increase the risk of illness if they're ingested in large amounts.
