Number of organic and inorganic substances in the raw water, the taps will provide chlorine to the water as a disinfectant. The amount given quite a lot because it is adjusted by the amount of organic substances contained in water.''
Fairly large doses of chlorine, continued Nusa, can react with other compounds into chloroform, khlorofenol, and so forth. During these taps do not ever analyze new compounds are a result of excessive chlorine. In fact, the effect could lead to free radicals. ''So, the emergence of diseases is actually caused by poor drinking water quality,''.
Elemental iron, detergents, and other pollutants found in water although it is still clear and clean appearance.
Arie added contamination of drinking water supplied to the public purposes can be caused by industrial waste, domestic waste, hazardous materials and toxic wastes, corrosion of piping and also due to a byproduct of the disinfection process with chlorine compounds. Process''contamination can occur ranging from raw water source, during processing or in the distribution pipeline.''
Therefore, continued Arie, the Indonesian population is still difficult even now freed from diarrheal diseases, cholera, dysentery to typhoid fever. Therefore, the disease associated with water (waterborne deseases).''
Looking at the relationship between the quality of public health with clean water consumed interrelated. In addition to diarrhea, typhoid, cholera or dysentery, other diseases that are commonly found is the hepatitis A and acute anterior poliomelistis.
Both these studies emphasize the importance of public knowledge about the dangers of chemicals in drinking water. ''Many people have found poisoned drinking water because of chemical compounds in drinking water exceeding the allowed threshold concentration,''.
Actually, this chemical compound can be natural or caused by human activities pollute the drinking water. Some chemicals that are toxic to the human body are heavy metals, pesticides, hydrocarbons hazardous substances, radioactive substances of natural or artificial, and so forth.
An example is nitrate commonly found in agricultural activities. Nitrate pollution caused by agricultural waste water containing nitrate compounds resulting from the use of nitrogen fertilizer (urea).
Nitrate compounds in drinking water in large quantities causes methaemoglobinameia. This disease is a condition of hemoglobin in the blood turned into methaemoglobin, thus blood oxygen deficiency.
Flouride (F) is a natural chemical compounds in water at various concentrations. At small concentrations around 1.5 mg / l would be beneficial to dental health. If a high concentration (more than 2 mg / l) cause tooth decay (dental-bercak0 spots.''When even bigger 3-6 mg / l caused damage to the bone. Dose Flouride in drinking water maximum of 0.8 mg / l .''
Another dangerous element is mercury (merkurium, Hg) is a toxic heavy metal element to the body. Merkurium due to industrial wastes have caused fatalities in the case of Minamata Japan, 1950.
Should not be any water to drink contaminated cadmium (Cd). Drinking water usually contains Cd with a concentration of 1 ug or sometimes reaches 5 ug. WHO has issued recommendations Cd concentration in drinking water of 0.01 mg / l, while the Government Regulation No. 20/1990 maximum concentration of Cd in the drinking water of 0.005 mg / l.
Other toxic substances commonly found in Selenium seleniferous area (rainfed). In such areas the content of selenium in groundwater (wells) or surface can be high. WHO set the levels of selenium in drinking water of 0.01 mg / l, while the Government Regulation No. 20/1990 recommends that permitted levels of selenium 0.01 mg / l.