The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets and plumbing fixtures. Some pipes that carry drinking water from the source to the home may contain lead. Domestic plumbing fixtures, solder and fittings manufactured before 1986 may also contain lead.

Giardia is a tiny parasite (germ) that causes the diarrheal disease giardiasis. Giardia is found on surfaces or in soil, food or water that has been contaminated by feces from infected people or animals. You can contract giardiasis if you swallow Giardia germs.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a category of “emerging contaminants”, meaning that they have been detected in the environment but the risk to human health is not yet well understood. GenX, PFOA and PFOS are common variants that fall into the PFAS category. Chemical manufacturing companies (including DuPont, Chemours and 3M) have been using variants of these chemicals in industrial and consumer products since the early 1950s. Scotchgard, Teflon, fire-fighting foam, metal plating, water repellents and stain-repellent fabrics are all associated with this class of contaminants. PFAS are extremely persistent in the environment, which means they do not degrade easily.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes a diarrheal disease called cryptosporidiosis (the parasite and the disease are often referred to as “Crypto”). Cryptosporidiosis is a common water-borne disease and is the most common cause of illness in recreational waters.

CHLORINE AND CHLORAMINE ARE THE MAIN DISINFECTANTS USED IN PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS. You can find out whether your water contains a disinfectant, what type of disinfectant is used and how well your water company has complied with disinfection regulations by obtaining a copy of your water company’s consumer confidence report.

Plastic is the most common type of marine debris found in our oceans and Great Lakes. Plastic debris comes in all shapes and sizes, but those less than five millimeters long (the size of a sesame seed) are called “microplastics”.

Norovirus, sometimes called winter vomiting disease, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. The infection is characterized by non-bloody diarrhea, vomiting and stomach upset. Symptoms generally appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure, and recovery usually takes one to three days. Complications are rare, but can include dehydration, particularly in the young, the elderly and people with other health problems.

The virus is generally transmitted via the fecal-oral route, i.e. through contaminated food or water, or through person-to-person contact. It can also be spread via contaminated surfaces or airborne vomit from an infected person. Risk factors include unsanitary food preparation and sharing close quarters. Diagnosis is usually based on symptoms. A confirmatory test is not generally available, but may be carried out by public health organizations in the event of an epidemic.

Escherichia coli (/ˌɛʃəˈrɪkiə ˈkoʊlaɪ/),also known asE. coli(/ˌiː ˈkoʊlaɪ/), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichi, usually found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most strains of E. colistra are harmless, but some serotypes (EPEC, ETEC, etc.) can cause severe food poisoning in their hosts, and are sometimes responsible for food contamination incidents that lead to product recalls. [Most strains do not cause disease in humans and are part of the normal gut microbiota; these strains are harmless or even beneficial to humans (although they are generally less studied than pathogenic strains). For example, certain strains of E. colib benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2 or preventing colonization of the gut by pathogenic bacteria. These mutually beneficial relationships between E. coli and man constitute a type of mutualistic biological relationship, in which man and E. coli benefit from each other. E. coli is expelled into the environment through feces. The bacterium grows massively in fresh feces under aerobic conditions for up to three days, but then slowly declines in numbers.

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Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound mainly used in the manufacture of various plastics. It is a colorless solid that is soluble in most common organic solvents, but is very sparingly soluble in water BPA is produced on an industrial scale by the condensation of phenol and acetone, and its worldwide production is expected to reach 10 million tons by 2022 BPA is mainly used as a biomonomer in the production of polyethylene and polypropylene. BPA’s most important application is as an acomonomer in polycarbonate production, which accounts for 65-70% of total BPA production. The manufacture of epoxy and vinyl ester resins accounts for 25-30% of BPA use. The remaining 5% is used as a main component in many high-performance plastics and as a minor additive in PVC, polyurethane, thermal paper and other materials. It is not a plasticizer, although it is often mislabeled as such.