The effect of toxins in ground water (drinking water)!

One out of two Americans rely on ground water supply i.e., about 50%.where as about 95% of rural supply has been reported.

EPA had experimented that about 1-2 % of ground water has been polluted ( in aquifers) .An aquifer directly stands for the population dynamics of a specified area .The influence of population over ground directly affects the underground water. Thus a large no. of people are been affected. By 1986 only 38 out of 700 chemicals had come into consideration of federal water quality standards. In a 1982 survey the EPA found that 45% of the fresh usable water has been contaminated with synthetic organic matters that imposed potential health threats. Another survey found that one out of two thirds of rural wells had violated at least one federal health standard.

The ground water passes through the aquifers which act as a feeble filter for suspended particles and bacteria. The filtration depends upon the volume of water mass and type of soil. Bacterial degradation of oxygen demanding wastes reaching aquifers is feeble due to the lack of dissolved organisms and microorganisms. The concentration of contaminants is more in ground water than in surface water because the velocity of ground water is much lesser than surface water. The Pollutants seep into an aquifer on a large volume of time gap.

Ground water may be contaminated by a number of point and non- point sources. Two major sources of ground water contamination are leaks of fuel materials and seepage of such chemicals and toxic heavy metal compounds from landfills, abandoned toxic waste dumps, and lagoons. Seepage also occurs from deep well of waste disposal. Waste can also escape through faulty casings and joints.

Ground water pollution control is a very expensive process (up to $ 10, 1000 per monitoring well). $ 5 million to$ 10 million for a single aquifer.

The stimulation of the growth of anaerobic bacteria may give relief to some degree but may stand for some side effects including mutation in other strains.

Thus preventive non contamination measures is one and only way. The amendment of federal laws also aid in some aspects.

By EPA ground water has been classified as; class 1, consisting of drinking water (ecologically vital sources), class 2; currently in use or potential drinking water or for other beneficial purposes. Class 3; only for limited use (not for drinking).any pollution activities must be banned in class 1 and 2 areas but may be encouraged in class 3 areas.

Expensive monitoring and control measures have to be ascertained for prevention from contamination of land fills, deep well, petrol tanks, pesticides and other chemicals. There should be an increased effort to control soil erosion by conservation and land use control for farms, construction sites, and suburban and urban areas. Leaching and fertilizer and pesticide runoff might be prevented. The efficient method is preparation of buffer zone. The leaching of animal wastes may be prevented by allocating to lagoons or detention basins.