ABSTRACT
Of all the natural resources necessary to ensure human, plant and animal health, water is the most important. Water is a basic biological necessity and having access to safe and reliable sources of drinking water is extremely important for human health and civilizations around the globe. Changes in chemical composition of water sources due to natural hydro-geological processes, rapid population growth, industrial development and intensified agricultural production has influenced the natural balance of water constituents in water supplies resulting in the pollution of water bodies around the world. Human exposure to pathogenic and non-pathogenic elements through consumption of unreliable drinking water sources has recently become a global concern. The impact of water quality on human health is multi-factorial and two main factors are to be taken into account: 1) natural inorganic and organic components and 2) man-made compounds.
