Water and health

Water and health

Water is essential for the body to function properly. To ensure constant supplies of safe drinking water for the population, its chemical and microbiological composition is strictly regulated at national and European level. This is because water intended for human consumption may become contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, viruses or parasites) or chemical substances (pesticides, nitrates, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, etc.).

Water is essential to our survival

The adult human body is made up of 60% water (75% in infants). The body eliminates about 2.5 litres of water a day through breathing, perspiration and urination. Up to a litre of this loss in water is compensated through food consumption (fruit, dairy products, etc), since all foods contain a certain, variable amount of water. It is therefore also essential to drink water to cover all of our natural requirements.

Regulations on water

In accordance with the European directives, the public health code sets 60 quality parameters (references and limits) for water in order to ensure that it does not become contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms or pollutants.
In order to comply with these standards, water is treated depending on the quality of the supply used. It is subject to regular safety checks from government bodies (more than 310,000 regulatory samples taken in 2006, which generated over 8 million analytical results (1)). Water suppliers also monitor water quality themselves.

ANSES's role

ANSES helps to guarantee the safety of water intended for human consumption or being used in the food production (natural mineral water, spring water, drinking water for animals, tap water for private or industrial use, manuring water, etc.).

It also assesses the health hazards associated with the presence of microorganisms or chemical contaminants in water.

Moreover, as part of the changing role of the Nancy Laboratory for Hydrology, the Agency has coordinated a study on the European and French production of research on drinking water and health. A structural and thematic review mapping out the French public research units specialising in "water and health" has been drawn up. This presents proposals for research backing up expertise and provides the necessary information for identifying the priority work areas of the Laboratory for Hydrology of the Agency.

(1) L'eau potable en France 2005-2006 (2008)
On the website of the French Ministry for Health, Youth, Sports and Associations

February 2010