How Dirty Water Affects Children’s Health

By: Annie Finholm

March 10, 2024

Consuming poorly filtered, dirty water poses a risk to people of all ages. However, according to Clean Water for All, “children and infants are especially at risk of exposure to contaminated water.” This liquid is essential to everyone’s life, as it is necessary for human survival. CEHN writes that because a kid drinks “more water per pound of body weight than adults ... they ingest higher amounts of any chemicals that may be present in the water.” Therefore, because children need more water than adults, they are more likely to face the dangerous consequences.  

A polluted stream.

Within the water that kids and adults alike drink, there is an abundance of diseases. An example of one of the illnesses is typhoid fever: a type of bacteria carried in the body, causing “high fever, fatigue, headache, nausea,” and more, says the World Health Organization. The types of bacteria that reside in the water include but are not limited to E. coli and other types of coliform bacteria. The presence of this bacteria can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, nausea, headaches, fever, fatigue, and even death”, informs the Minnesota Department of Health. Essentially, when it rains, snows, hails, or any type of water falls from the sky, there are several types of chemicals and diseases in the water. This is because the moisture in the clouds comes from the evaporated water of the earth, which contains harmful substances due to runoff and pollution.  

In addition to the water intended for consumption, the playful tendencies of kids cause them to play in water more often than adults, which causes them to be at greater exposure to contaminants in public areas. According to Houston Pools Unlimited, parents must recognize that “ingesting too much chlorine can lead to chlorine poisoning or [...] recreational water illness.” The amount of chlorine in a pool can vary depending on the location, but there are almost always chemicals in a pool. Chlorine poisoning can cause issues within the nervous and respiratory systems, writes Houston Pools Unlimited. Homing in on natural bodies of water, they can be filled to the brim with parasites, chemicals, and bacteria. This is, again, due to pollution and runoff from other areas. Some of these waterborne diseases include cryptosporidiosis, cyclosporiasis, and giardiasis, writes the Minnesota Department of Health. The accidental or intentional consumption of these types of water can cause severe symptoms that unfortunately include death.  

According to CEHN, the chemicals mentioned above are particularly harmful to children’s developing organs and tissues because “it is harder for their systems to break down and get rid of harmful chemicals that enter their bodies.” Children’s immune systems and other systems mature between the ages of seven and eight, according to the National Library of Medicine. This indicates that those who are exposed to unclean water, whether it be through purposeful or accidental consumption, and are under the age of ten are more likely to suffer more detrimental effects.  

The Growth and Development of Children state that because of the advancements in medicine, “infant mortality rates are lower than ever before”. However, this statement is limited to countries where these progressions have been made. The regions that are most impacted by the global water crisis are, writes the World Resources Institute, “the Middle East and North Africa”, which are locations that do not have as much access to the treatments and cures that help battle the aforementioned waterborne diseases. So, in these locations, long-term exposure to the contaminants found in unfiltered water can lead to permanent damage being made to neurological systems.  

Simply put, the inclusion of more wells in poor communities will enable kids to thrive healthily and happily.   

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References:

"25 Countries, Housing One-quarter of the Population, Face Extremely High Water Stress." World Resources Institute, 16 Aug. 2023, www.wri.org/insights/highest-water-stressed-countries#:~:text=The%20most%20water%2Dstressed%20regions,%2C%20where%2074%25%20is%20exposed. 

Admin, HPU. "Pool Safety and Children." Houston Pools Unlimited, 18 Sept. 2020, houstonpoolsunlimited.com/clean-and-safe-pools/pool-safety-children/#:~:text=Although%20swallowing%20a%20small%20amount,serious%20condition%20called%20secondary%20drowning. 

"Bacteria, Viruses, and Parasites in Drinking Water." MN Dept. of Health, 21 Nov. 2023, www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/contaminants/bacteria.html#:~:text=The%20presence%20of%20coliform%20bacteria%2C%20specifically%20E.,fatigue%2C%20and%20even%20death%20sometimes. 

"Causes and Symptoms of Waterborne Illness." MN Dept. of Health, 20 Oct. 2022, www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/waterborne/basics.html. 

"Clean Water for All." CEHN, Accessed 11 Mar. 2024.  

"Development of Child Immunity in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic." PubMed Central (PMC), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7293525/#:~:text=However%2C%20the%20immune%20system%20of,7%E2%80%938%20years%20of%20life. 

"Typhoid." World Health Organization (WHO), 30 Mar. 2023, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/typhoid#:~:text=Persons%20with%20typhoid%20fever%20carry,serious%20complications%20or%20even%20death. 

"Water-related Illnesses." National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/climatechange/health_impacts/waterborne_diseases#:~:text=Some%20common%20water%2Drelated%20illnesses,have%20long%2Dlasting%20health%20impacts.