The following table outlines the possible causes and effects of know water contaminants as described by the U.S. EPA. To return to Water 101, our in-depth guide to common water problems, click here.

Contaminant	Possible Effect(s)	Source(s)
Asbestos	Cancer	Asbestos cement in water systems
Arsenic	Cancer, skin and nervous system toxicity	Pesticides, industrial waste, smelting
Barium	Circulatory system effects	Geological
Benzene	Cancer	Fuel, drugs, paint, pesticides
Cadmium	Kidney effects	Epoxy sealants, spent coal, pigments
Carbon Tetrachloride	Cancer	Cleaning solvents
Coliform & other bacteria	Gastroenteric infection, dysentery, typhoid fever, and cholera	Human and animal fecal matter
Endrin	Liver, kidney and heart damage	Pesticide on insects, rodents and birds
Fluoride	Skeletal and dental damage	Fluoridated water, fertilizer and aluminum
Giardia lambia	Gastroenteric disease	Human and animal fecal matter
Lead	Kidney and nervous system damage	Lead pipes and lead-based solder
Legionella	Legionnaire's disease	Natural waters, some water heaters
Lindane	Liver, kidney, nervous, immune and circulatory system damage	Insecticide on cattle, cotton and soybeans
Mercury	Kidney and nervous system disorders	Crop run-off, batteries
Methoxychlor	Growth, liver, kidney and nerve effects	Insecticide on fruits, livestock and pets
Nitrate	Blue baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia)	Fertilizer, sewage and animal waste
Radon	Cancer	Decay of radionuclides
Selenium	Liver damage	Smelting, coal/oil combustion
Total Trihalomethanes	Cancer	Surface water treated with chlorine
Toxaphene	Cancer	Insecticide on cattle, cotton and soybeans
Tetrachloroethylene	Cancer	Dry cleaning materials waste, solvents
Turbidity	Interferes with Disinfection, filtration	Erosion, soil run-off and discharges
Vinyl Chloride	Cancer	PVC Pipe, solvent breakdown

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