A water molecule consists of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen—however, you’ve probably never seen a sample of pure water.
Freshwater and saltwater both contain dissolved minerals and gases that have been picked up in the atmosphere, ocean, or underground pipes.
Bromide, Iodine, Rubidium, Scandium, Boron, Phosphorus, Nickel, Manganese, Chromium, Strontium, Sulfate, Cobalt, Zinc, Titanium, Lanthanum, Cerium, Barium, Copper, Iron, Silicon, Yttrium, Molybdenum, Tin, Gallium, Gold, Silver, Cesium, Beryllium, Selenium, Vanadium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Terbium, Praseodymium, Lutetium, Gadolinium, Samarium, Bismuth, Ytterbium, Erbium, Europium, Neodymium
| Contaminant | Source | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| E. coli bacteria | Fecal waste | Gastrointestinal infection, especially for people with immune disorders |
| Pesticides | Agricultural sites | Cancer, leukemia, endocrine diseases |
| Nitrates/Nitrites | Sewage, livestock, fertilizers | Risks to infants and local ecosystems |
| Arsenic | Skin problems, cancer, cardiovascular and nervous system | Pesticides, natural deposits, industry |
| Lead | Damages nervous system, especially in children | Originates in metal pipes and adjacent industrial sites |
| Fluoride | Natural deposits, municipal treatment | Potential skeletal damage with excessive consumption in children |
| Uranium | Kidney toxicity and cancer | Natural deposits |
The water crisis in Flint, Michigan has exposed the decaying quality of infrastructure in the United States. Many people don’t know how their filters work, or if they are filtering out the desired contaminants. Visit the Solutions page to take action and learn more about water filters, or continue below for more water science.
The pH scale measures how acidic a sample is, with 0 being very acidic and 14 being very basic. Water is exactly in the middle, with a pH of 7. However, since water almost always contains additional materials, it’s pH actually varies quite a bit.
Acidity changes with the presence of Hydrogen ions (H+), according to the following equation:
Because pH is a logarithmic function, a change of pH from 3.0 to 2.0 marks a much larger shift in acidity than from 7.0 to 6.0. Water becomes more acidic when it reacts with carbon dioxide, which means that carbon emissions attributed to human activity directly influence the acidity of the rain.
(or lemon juice to tomato juice)
In our exploration of the universe, water is a key requirement for life. About 60% of the human body is water, which makes it vital to know what you’re putting into your body and your environment. Keep reading to learn about how water gets to your faucet.
