WATER POLLUTION A DANGER TO HUMAN AND THE ECOSYSTEM

The regular anti-fertility tablets which women take to regulate their periods finds their way to the water systems affecting the ecology, says Prof. Shem Wandiga, the Kenya Chemical Society Association (KCSA), chairman.

“When they are taken by the women they are not fully destroyed by the kidneys,” says Wandiga, “some of the bills get absorbed to the body system as the rest get excreted through urine.” Often in urban centres - where residents use flash toilets the urine finds its way to the water system via the sewer system - whose content more than often leaks to the water system, getting used by the fishes and the frogs – interfering with their reproductive systems. “We end up having fishes and frogs with several reproductive organs,” he says, adding that “the ecology get affected.”

The chemistry don at the University of Nairobi says that chemicals like Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) – which are chemicals used in the manufacture of cooling transformers in carbon-less printers and in capacitors making – when they find their way to the water systems they have the potential of disrupting the endocrine system whose hormones regulate mood, growth and development, tissue functions and metabolism.

The PCB's alters developmental grands (ovary and testis), resulting in the reduction in sperm count (so low and few) in males to the extend that a normal person can not fertilize a woman. The PCB's have a potential of poisoning blood, too.

Notwithstanding that PCB's are found in small quantities, 0.05 parts per million, they have the potential of altering the skeletal system of the fish – rendering bone development futile for the fish to swim or survive. If a human being eats such a Jerry fish he or she will be affected.

Nevertheless, when metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium among others finds there way to the waters they can lead to a wide range of effects to human beings. Arsenic causes skin cancer. Lead and cadmium interferes with calcium and phosphate in bone – making them brittle and weak.

Some of this metal also replace iron in the red blood cells – they can also interfere with other developmental organs.

These metal elements can be removed by good water treatment plants. Unfortunately rural areas people get their water directly from the springs albeit these metal elements gets to such water systems. People are urged to use available water disinfectants or embrace appropriate water technologies such as solar disinfection and aluminum hydroxide and household defluoridation unit (HDU) and proven herbs like moringa before drinking.