Ch.3. Water Quality  What is WQ? Physical, chemical, biological characteristics of water Appropriateness of water properties for a given usage purpose  Water usage? Drinking Other household usage (shower, gardening, laundry, cooking, etc.) Agriculture Industry Leisure Others

 WQ criteria: The levels of the constituents (including pollutants) and other parameters indicating the water quality. The criteria can be set For inorganic parameters: ○ Anionic components: F, Cl, SO4, NO3, PO4 ○ Cationic components: All the metals, including heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, As, Se, Hg, etc. ○ Neutral coponents: Si, O2 For organic parameters: TDS, color, COD etc. For (micro)biological parameters: Coliforms, Salmonella, Viruses etc. For pesticides: Diazinon, Parathion, etc. For radio nuclides: 226 Ra, 228 Ra, alpha particle activity etc.

 WQ standards: Sets of recommended (maximum) levels of the criteria to secure the purpose of the water use Drinking water standards ○ WHO, USEPA, EU, ROK (see the Table on the next page) WHOUSEPAEU Surface water standards Groundwater standards ○ Groundwater quality standard of ROK Groundwater quality standard of ROK WQ standard for finfish WQ standard for paddy rice etc

From Drinking water standards of The Republic of Korea

From WQ standard for finfish (Australia)

 Potential health effects from ingestion of water Inorganic ○ As: Skin damage; circulatory system problems; increased risk of cancer ○ Pb: Infants and children-delays in physical or mental development. Adults-kidney problems; high blood pressure From

From From Arsenic (As) poisoning

Image courtesy of Paul Traughber, M.D., Boise, Idaho. This X-ray shows white bands of lead collected in the growth plates of the knee joints of a child Lead (Pb) poisoning From

○ Cd: ‘Itai-Itai’ disease, kidney damage From

○ Hg: ‘Minamata’ disease, kidney damage From / Son With Birth Defects Due to Mercury Poisoning

○ F: Bone disease (pain and tenderness of the bones); Children may get mottled teeth. Researchers say in some villages nearly all adults suffer skeletal fluorosis. China. From From

○ NO 3, NO 2 : "Blue baby syndrome" in infants under six months - life threatening without immediate medical attention. Symptoms: Infant looks blue and has shortness of breath. From / Fingertips get swollen. Medically this is called as “Clubbing

From