The impact of inorganic chemicals on water quality and health

Inorganic substances constitute by far the greatest proportion of chemical contaminants in drinking water. They are present in greatest quantity as a consequence of natural processes but several important contaminants are present as a result of man's activities. Some of the most important even come from the plumbing material through which water is passed. Inorganic contaminants are the most important determinands of acceptability to the consumer, affecting taste, colour and scale deposition on pipes and fittings. They are also demonstrably the most important for health, having both beneficial and adverse effects which have been shown in human populations. This is a brief review of some of the most important inorganic constituents of drinking water covering major elements such as hardness and nitrate and more minor constituents in terms of quantity, such as arsenic, selenium and lead.