systems is quite evident as without water, there is no life.
No other substance on earth is as abundant as water. It is almost everywhere in air, clouds,
oceans, lakes, rivers, springs or glaciers. In the 5 km layer below the sea level on Earth, water is nearly 6 times as abundant as all other substances put together. And, none other occurs in 3 states— solid, liquid and gaseous—at the same time. It is water that had conditioned our climate. The water in oceans, seas and the atmosphere (vapour) acts as an accumulator of heat. In hot weather, it absorbs heat and in cold, it gives up heat; thus, it keeps the planet warm. Without water, our planet would be cooled to subzero temperatures long ago and all forms of life would have perished.
Water is the solvent of life.
Water has deluded us into believing that it is abundant and in exhaustible.
But it is merely an illusion rather than a reality. The volume of water on the earth is about 1,36,00,00,000 cubic kilometres which covers nearly 70% of the earth's surface.The global scenario is that 97% of
water is in the sea, 2% locked up in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, and 1% is fresh water. Of this 1%
fresh water, 0.22% is in the underground acquifer and the remaining 0.78% of the world’s water fills
the rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.
Undoubtedly,
water is more important than any other single
compound to life. lt is involved in several body function. Water is the major body constituent. An adult
human contains about 60% water (men 55-70%,
women 45-60%). The women and obese indivi- duals have relatively less water which is due to the higher content of stored fat in an anhydrous form. Variations observed are mainly due to
differences in fat contents.In obese males, water constitutes a lower percentage of body weight (45–
60%) than in lean individuals (55 – 70%). Adult lean females have a low water content (45 – 60%)
and the value in infants can be in the range 65 – 75%. Our normal body temperature of 37°C is
maintained mainly because water is expelled by lungs and skin. In an adult male of 70
kg body weight, 70% of water (i.e., about 30 litres) is found in intracellular fluids. Of this, about 4
litres are found in bones which does not readily participate in fluid exchange. Nearly 30% of water
(i.e., about 12 litres) is found in extracellular fluid. Plasma (3litres), interstitial fluid (8.5 litres) and
transcellular fluid (l litre) come under this category.
A loss of 10% of water in
our body is serious; a loss of 20% fatal.
The maintenance of water balance, the equilibrium between water intake and output, is a critical
aspect of metabolism. An adult in water balance generally takes in and loses about 2.8 litres of water
per day in temperate climate and between 3.3 and 7.3 litres per day in tropical climate .
Besides the water obtained from foods and liquids, metabolic water is also made available through the oxidation of food in the body. Oxidation of 100 g each of fat, carbohydrate and protein yields 107,55 and 41g of water, respectively. Water losses occur by evaporation (water vapour in exhaled air and
perspiration) and by excretion of urine and feces.If the output of water significantly exceeds its intake, dehydration occurs due to diarrhea,
vomiting, fever and high environmental temperatures. Dehydration is especially serious in young
children because their body pool of water is small and hence can be readily depleted. If water
accumulates in tissues, then edema occurs.
 |
| Picture : NASA satellite aqua |
Water is the most important possession of humanity and keeping in view the importance of the
role of water on our planet, NASA has launched a satellite named Aqua to study the effect of water in its various forms on climate. The aim is to find whether there are any changes in the pattern of water
cycle-climate relationship as a result of human-generated factors. Aqua is second in a series of 3
satellites planned by NASA with a view to gathering comprehensive data on Earth and its surroundings.
Freshwater is any naturally occurring water except for seawater or brackish water. Freshwater is found in lakes, rivers, ice-caps, streams, ponds, icebergs, glaciers, etc. Underground water may also be termed as freshwater. The source of freshwater is precipitation from the atmosphere. Some countries have large freshwater resources. These countries enjoy enormous benefits due to their vast reserves of fresh water. Countries with the most freshwater resources are discussed below.
There are some countries which have highest volume of freshwater
1. Brazil
Brazil has the highest volume of renewable fresh water resources, totaling approximately 8,233 cubic kilometers. The freshwater in Brazil accounts for approximately 12% of the world’s fresh water resources. The Amazon Region in Brazil contains over 70% of the total fresh water in Brazil. Despite having numerous fresh water resources, one of the most populous regions in Brazil, Sao Paulo, faces severe drought. Access to freshwater by poor neighborhoods in urban areas remains a challenge in Brazil.
2. Russia
The renewable fresh water bodies in Russia include rivers, lakes, and man-made reservoirs. Lake Baikal, the largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world, is located in Russia. Baikal holds up to approximately 1/5 of fresh water in the world. The lake was formed on a rift. However, the lake’s volume has been gradually reducing due to climate change. Baikal harbors a large population of seals. In total, Russia has 4,508 cubic kilometers of fresh water resources.
3. United States
The volume of renewable fresh water resources in the US is approximately 3,069 cubic kilometers. Most of the fresh water resources in the country are surface water. Approximately 77% of the fresh water is surface water and 23% is underground. Majority of freshwater bodies in the United States are lakes. Other fresh water sources are rivers, ponds, and reservoirs. There are thousands of lakes in the US, including the world-famous Great Lakes.
4. Canada
The volume of renewable fresh water in Canada is approximately 2,902 cubic kilometer. Most of Canada’s fresh water is found in its diverse river system and lakes. Besides, the fresh water is mostly underground, in small ponds or in glaciers. The underground water is mostly nonrenewable. The fresh water in Canadian lakes provides drinking water for over 8 million people and supports a quarter of agriculture in the country.
5. China
China has the 5th highest volume of renewable fresh water resources in the world. It has approximately 2,840 cubic kilometers of fresh water. Poyang Lake which is situated in Jiangxi Province is the largest freshwater lake in China. Xin, Xiu, and Gan Rivers all empty their waters into the lake. The volume of the lake keeps fluctuating depending on seasons.
Industrial uses of water
There are lots of use of water in industries. An individual uses maximum 100litres per day but industries uses a large amount of water. Most of the industries do not have their water management system. Here some data of industrial uses of water-
**It takes 10 litres
of water to produce 1 litre of petroleum
** 100 litres for 1 kg of paper,
** 4,500 litres for 1 kg of rice,
**4,500 litres for l ton of cement
**20,000 litres to produce 1 ton of steel.
According to published reports*, here are the annual water "footprint" stats for the top ten water-using countries around the world:
* China: 1.5 billion people, 362 trillion gallons annually
* United States: 300 million people, 216 trillion gallons
* Brazil: 175 million people, 95 trillion gallons
* Russia: 143 million people, 71 trillion gallons
* Mexico: 100 million people, 53 trillion gallons
* India: 1.1 billion people, 30 trillion gallons
* England: 60 million people, 20 trillion gallons
* France: 60 million people, 20 trillion gallons
* Canada:33 million people, 19 trillion gallons
* Australia: 20 million people, 12 trillion gallons
Countries With the Most Renewable Fresh Water Resources
| Rank | Country | Freshwater (Kilometers Cubed) |
| 1 | Brazil | 8,233 |
| 2 | Russia | 4,508 |
| 3 | United states | 3,069 |
| 4 | Canada | 2,902 |
| 5 | China | 2,840 |
| 6 | Colombia | 2,132 |
| 7 | European Union | 2,057 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 2,019 |
| 9 | Peru | 1,913 |
| 10 | India | 1,911 |
| 11 | Congo | 1,283 |
| 12 | Venezuela | 1,233 |
| 13 | Bangladesh | 1,227 |
| 14 | Myanmar | 1,160 |
Here some questions wait for you. Answer my questions on Comment Box
1)How to save water?
2)What steps taken your government to save water?
3)Can we save water?
Source: Biochemistry by j l jain, internet.
Source: Biochemistry by j l jain, internet.
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Thank you.