Water is a vital necessity for life on Earth. In fact, the first life form evolved in water. Our Earth’s major portion is covered with water. Without water, there’s no life!
The most interesting part is! The human body, on average, is made up of 60% water. These are the reasons the world’s greatest civilizations were established near rivers. Our main water sources are rivers, groundwater, ponds, lakes and freshwater streams.
Urbanization has expanded cities away from water bodies and now the groundwater has become the only source of water.
Rural families heavily depend on the groundwater. Women draw out water from the headpump in their backyard, believing it to be pure and safe, but what if I tell you that the same water could be contaminated with various toxic compounds that are known to be genotoxic?
Around 2.4 billion people live in water-stressed countries, and around 2.2 billion people don’t have access to safe water. Therefore, groundwater becomes a major source of drinking water for these people.
It might be pure, but it isn’t safe to drink directly. Let’s understand the effect of groundwater on our genetic health.
Related article: 5 Ways Urbanization is Harming Your Genetic Health.
Key Topics:
Genotoxic compounds in groundwater
Groundwater is pure and sterile, a common myth that people tend to believe. But the reality is harsh: it actually contains harmful toxic compounds that can directly target our DNA and affect our genetic health.
You may have a question: how can groundwater not be pure? Let me tell you…..
Rain is the major source of groundwater reservoirs. As rainwater reaches the deep layers of soil and rock, it mixes with the naturally occurring minerals such as Arsenic, Fluoride, and heavy metals present in Earth’s crust.
Human activities and interference also contaminate the groundwater. For instance, the agricultural practices like chemical farming (which again harm the genetic health). Farmers use chemical fertilizers and pesticides that mix with the soil and introduce harmful residues into the groundwater.
Industrial waste and improper waste disposal is another major contributor of groundwater contamination, containing toxic compounds like lead, cadmium, chromium, etc. a more shocking part is that, despite being chlorinated, even the tap water is unsafe for our DNA.
When this contaminated ‘so-called’ pure water becomes the only source of drinking, as it often does in rural regions, the health risks increase.
These toxic compounds, once inside, dissolve in the digestive system and enter the bloodstream, where they unleash a series of harmful reactions like reactive oxygen species, which destabilise the DNA and cause strand breaks and mutations. Certain contaminants also interfere with the DNA repair mechanism.
Groundwater and genotoxicity:
Let’s review some studies showing the toxic side of the groundwater and how it affects our genetic health.
A field study published in the Journal of Toxicology took place in the Bidupur block of Vaishali (Ganga Plain, Bihar), researchers measured 68 samples of groundwater collected from public and private tubewells and used standard exposure models to estimate human health risk. 24% of the samples exceeded the WHO-recommended levels of arsenic.
The paper highlights the genotoxicity generated by inorganic arsenic, particularly arsenite, when consumed regularly in the form of groundwater.
It was found that this compound can generate reactive oxygen species, cause oxidative stress, DNA lesions, DNA fragmentation, and micronuclei, DNA adducts, and can also impair the DNA repair systems. It was observed that chronic exposure can also cause epigenetic changes that alter gene expression.
Another study published in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives investigated whether chronic exposure to nitrate-contaminated drinking water from private wells can cause genotoxicity.
The findings revealed a clear dose-dependent effect. The study detected several carcinogenic N-nitrosamines in urine, including N-nitrosopyrolidine, in urine samples of the exposed people. This provides us with direct evidence that ingested nitrate can convert inside the body into DNA-damaging compounds. Although nitrate itself is not genotoxic, when it is ingested, it forms compounds that are known to be mutagenic, causing mutations and raising the cancer risk.
Several other studies claim heavy metals to be hazardous to our genes and DNA. Cadmium, chromium, and lead, which are often present in contaminated groundwater, are known to harm DNA integrity over time.
People consume contaminated groundwater daily for years without realizing that their DNA is being compromised. It’s not their fault, actually. How are they supposed to know what’s hidden in that crystal clear water?
Related article: How Overuse of Common Medicines Harm Your Genetic Health.
Key takeaways:
Here is a list of things to make sure the water we assume to be safe and pure is actually safe and toxin-free for drinking.
- Regular testing and monitoring of groundwater.
- Switching to safer sources like treated municipal water.
- Invest in good filters like RO to purify the water.
- Awareness among rural people.
- Strong government policies and strict rules and regulations for safe drinking water.
Wrapping up:
Safe drinking water is a basic and essential need. Access to clean and safe water is not only a matter of public health but also of genetic health. The water that seems to be crystal clear may not be as safe as you think.
Human activities, rapid urbanization and increasing pollution will only increase this contamination, so it is our responsibility to take care of what we put inside our body to ensure our genetic health, DNA and overall well-being.
Resources
Kumar, Pankaj, et al. “Health Risk Assessment upon Exposure to Groundwater Arsenic among Individuals of Different Sex and Age Groups of Vaishali District, Bihar (India).” Toxicology Reports, 1 Apr. 2025, pp. 102024–102024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2025.102024. Accessed 7 July 2025.
van Maanen, J M, et al. “Nitrate Contamination of Drinking Water: Relationship with HPRT Variant Frequency in Lymphocyte DNA and Urinary Excretion of N-Nitrosamines.” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 104, no. 5, May 1996, pp. 522–528, https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.96104522. Accessed 2 Oct. 2022.
