Mapping Contaminants in Western Springs Water: A Public Health Analysis

Lab 3: Water Quality and the State of Our Water Resources Name Institutional Affiliation Course name Instructor’s name Assignment due date Lab 3: Water Quality and the State of Our Water Resources [Name] Determining the amount of contaminants in water sources serving a particular community could indicate the need for scientific interventions to prevent health issues. The mapping study for this project is my community which is Western Springs, [City, State]. The community has a population of 13,125 people who rely ground water for domestic use and drinking. During the mapping exercise, the concentration of the four contaminants of concern was as indicated in the list below: Nitrate: 0.00 mg/L, Arsenic: 0.00 µg/L, Fluoride: 0.47 mg/L and Total dissolved solids: 244.00 mg/L. The occurrence mapping showed that both nitrate and arsenic compounds present in the water at Water Springs were insignificant to cause concern to the users. The amount of fluoride was 0.47 mg/L, which is below the 0.7 mg/L concentration that would cause health issues among the users (Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF), 2025). The total amount of dissolved solids in the water was 244.00 mg/L while guidelines indicate that water should have lower than 500.00 mg/L concentration of the contaminant. The levels of contaminants in the water at my community was not too high to cause alarm or potential health implications on the consumers. Determining the potential health effects of water contamination facilitates response by agencies responsible for providing water to consumers. The contaminants in the current project have significant health effects as demonstrated by symptoms of using water with high levels of the compounds. High levels of nitrates expose the population to thyroid problems, increase the risk of cancers, and cause mathemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome to infants. Additionally, consuming water with high levels of nitrates can cause adverse effects on pregnancies including fetal deaths and spontaneous abortions. Children in communities with high nitrate-level water are likely to have low-birth weight and related health conditions. High levels of arsenic