Drinking rainwater can trigger disease outbreak, carries carcinogens – Experts

Rainwater is a useful option for use when there is a lack of potable water for residential uses in several places in Nigeria and for some individuals.

However, medical professionals have advised against using it because it may be contaminated with dust, ash, or heavy metal from roofing sheets, which might have harmful health effects.

The existence of manmade compounds known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes known as “forever chemicals,” which are known not to decompose in the environment, was another issue brought up by the doctors.

The experts noted that although while rainfall, particularly roof runoff, can be contaminated with dangerous compounds including heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals, it may still result in allergic reactions, rashes, and skin inflammation.

In separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts from several health sections emphasized that rainwater is no longer safe owing to industrialization, which has exacerbated environmental pollution and contamination.

They added that study has connected rainwater to disease epidemics brought on by dirt and germs that may have been deposited on rooftops during the dry season or dry weather. They claimed that rainwater also carries bacteria, parasites, and viruses that can make people very ill.

Onaeko Oluwawemimo, a toxicologist and expert in environmental health, stated that when rainfall with contaminants enters the body by eating, it cannot be filtered and may cause kidney stones.

According to him, kidney stones can obstruct the urine’s flow and lead to infection, renal damage, or even kidney failure.

The toxicologist pointed out that contaminants carried by rainwater from the atmosphere could result in gastrointestinal problems if consumed.

When bacteria, viruses, fungi, and anthrax spores are present in rainwater, they may cause respiratory system diseases like bronchitis and pneumonia (an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs), according to the Director, Environmental Health and Management Department at the Ministry of Environment, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

According to him, rainwater that enters the human body through food or drink may result in gastrointestinal problems since it contains heavy metals like lead, barium, and other elements. It also poses a hazard to the human body.

Final point: Different carcinogens introduced by certain toxic chemicals in rainwater, particularly from highly polluted places, activate various cancer cells to varying degrees and result in diseases.

“Genus Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Vibrio spp., and pathogenic E are pathogens found in rainwater. Pathogenic E is a major causative organism capable of transmitting and causing dangerous diseases that, upon antibiotic use, become resistant, exposing the person to other linked diseases.”

However, Oluwawemimo claimed that following simple procedures like boiling, filtering, using chemicals like chlorine, and UV disinfection are all better ways to ensure the safety of rainwater.

Omoyemi Aroso, a qualified dietician, said those who drink rainwater put themselves at risk for cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and poliomyelitis, among other water-borne illnesses.

She clarified that pollutants including bacteria, parasites, viruses, and chemicals are a key cause of many disorders.

However, Aroso agreed that rainfall can be useful if it is first boiled or filtered.

She declared, “Rainwater is full of pollutants and bacteria. There are many risks associated with rainwater. However, purified rainwater can be drunk. The biggest advantage of using rainwater is that it is simple to save and keep the system in good working order for the future, especially in areas with a limited supply of water.

Because of the compounds in rainfall, which also supply the body’s cells with magnesium ions and maintain appropriate levels of calcium in the bones, rainwater may also aid to strengthen the body’s immune system.

Olusegun Afolabi, a professor of public health at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, added that certain chemicals could end up in rainfall and raise the risk of certain malignancies and respiratory issues.

He claims that while rainwater is being collected, contaminants from roofing materials, pet dander, and airborne particles cause impurities to enter the water.

“I would want to say there is not much danger, except for the so-called “forever chemicals” which may get into rainwater,” he stated.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, sometimes known as PFAS, are found in shampoos, packaging, industrial sources, landfills, and chemicals used in firefighting.

“Some studies have suggested possible associations between PFAS exposure and decreased fertility, problems with child development, an increased risk of some malignancies, and impaired immunological function.

The allowed levels, however, have been set so low—below 500 pg/L—that they are difficult to detect on the majority of water testing kits. Therefore, the inference is that the water is unsafe for ingestion if it is found in any precipitation.

If rainwater is not made consumable, the diseases to which people who drink it may be prone are typically secondary to the pollutants in rainfall. These illnesses include lead poisoning and diarrhea caused by water-borne infections (diarrhea).