Water Quality for Animals, November 18, 1976

(1976) Water Quality for Animals, November 18, 1976. Iowa State University

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Abstract

Water is one of the most essential parts of our physical being. Man, animals, plants and all living life could not survive without water. Water is essential to maintain life, not just through physiological processes of the body but through the sanitation and maintenance of the environment surrounding us. Water quality has been impaired since man inhabited the earth. For survival, man located his domicile near water, not just for his need to quench thirst, to cook and to bathe, but also to dispose of his refuse. Thus, civilizations were started near bodies of water, particularly flowing water. Prior to the entrance of our ancestors· to this country, the Indians also located their camps near waterways. From this started the city dump as we knew it a few years ago, and only recently removed from the scenes of our civilization. Man has polluted waterways of America in his move towards civilization. Pollution from chemicals, bacterial and viral agents and the refuse from man--all have been found in streams. Yet, man's strides towards civilization was preceded by the organic pollution of waters from floods, plant life and animal refuse. So man alone can't be the sole contributors of waters of poor quality. Different means of water purification accompanied the progress in the improvement of our way of life. Purification was accomplished by boiling and by chemical disinfecting. The criteria established for water quality was that established by public health authorities for human's use and equated the amounts of chemicals and microorganisms that were considered safe for human consumption. To obtain this, various means of water purification were instituted.