Soapy water is formed by mixing 300ml of water with a spoonful of powder soap. If a large amount of household washing detergent gets mixed with drinking water resources, it can make the whole reserve toxic for drinking purposes.
In low-income countries where people rely on river or pond water usually suffer from soap poisoning. They are bound to drink the same water where they wash clothes and take bath.
What happens If you drink soapy water? Soapy water is always unsafe for drinking. If consumed daily, it can cause water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, gastrointestinal issues, abdominal pain, and throat swelling. However, accidental drinking of a small amount will never kill you.
The only water to pure soapy water to let the soap inside the water react with other substances. As a result, the chemical reaction will take place and a solid shape precipitate will be formed. It is then filtered out to make the water able to drink.
What Is Soapy Water & Ingredient In It
When the powder detergent is mixed with water it turns it into a soapy texture. This was once used for handwashing purposes in Kenya and Peru around 2008. Another word used for soapy water is sud. If you want to identify this type of water in pounds and rivers you can easily do so by seeing foam floating above the surface of the water.
The ingredients of soapy water are similar to the detergent that you use to mix in water.
Powder detergents mostly contain the following toxic cleaning agents:
- Alcohol Ethoxylate (AE)
- Alkyl (or Alcohol) Ethoxy Sulphate (AES) and Alkyl Sulphate (AS)
- Anionic surfactant.
- Amine Oxide
- Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC)
- Citric Acid
- Cyclodextrin
- Diethyl Ester Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride (DEEDMAC).
- Ethanol
- Ethylene Diamine Disuccinate (SS-EDDS)
- Hydrogen Peroxide.
- Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS)
- Mono Ethanol Amine (MEA), 2-aminoethanol, or Ethanolamine
- Percarbonate
- Polyethylene Glycols (PEG), Polyethylene Oxide (PEO), or Polyoxyethylene (POE)
- Polyvinyl Alcohol
- PODS.
- Propylene Glycol
- Sodium Carbonate
- Sodium Disilicate
- Sodium Hypochlorite
- Sodium Triphosphate (STPP)
- Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine (TAED)
- Titanium and Titanium Dioxide
- Zinc Phthalocyanine Sulphonate (ZPS).
Almost all of these ingredients are toxic. If you are drinking soapy water daily, it will affect your digestive system sooner or later.
Is It Bad To Drink Soapy Water
In low-income areas of poor countries, industrial waste, and household waste are also accumulating in drinking water sources. This is increasing the level of soap in drinking water. If not filtered properly, drinking such water may have life-threatening results
Is it bad to drink soapy water? Yes, it’s awful to drink as almost all cleaning agents contain toxic substances. In all cases quantity matter alot. If you are drinking soapy water on a daily basis you are likely to suffer from acute health problems diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and gastrointestinal pain.
Symptoms After Drinking Soapy Water
The symptoms after drinking soapy water vary from person to person. It depends mostly on the quantity of swallowed water and how frequently you consume it. In some cases, if the amount is too low you are likely tgo suffer no symptoms at all. Below are a few notable symptoms after continuous drinking of this water type:
The common symptoms of soap poisoning are symptoms.
- Swallowing in the throat
- Swallowing in lips
- Dryness and bad taste in the mouth
- What To Do If YOu Drink Soapy Water
- Abdominal distress
- Vomiting
- Burning sensation in food pipe or esophagus
- Blood cells in Stool
- Low blood pressure
- Ph level abnormalities
What To Do If You Swallow Soapy Water
If your child or someone else has drunk too much soapy water, what should be the next step. The first thing is to monitor the symptoms. In allergic patients, you will see redness in the eyes first. So symptoms may vary according to the age, and health condition of children and adults.
If you see the symptoms like vomiting and abdominal distress, it’s time to contact a poison control specialist. The specialist will check you for emergency symptoms. If he finds any he will call 911 for emergency aid.
It is observed that in low-income areas where people often drink soapy water, the symptoms are not attributed to causes. They are given antibiotics to suppress the infection. When people recover they again start drinking the same water and the same problem arises again.
So, it is important for doctors to know the causes of the problem and give the right advice. It’s upto you to kill or cure the problem.
What Treatment Options Are Available To Treat Soap Poisoning
The treatment options depend on symptoms and the quantity of ingesting soapy water. It starts with a diagnosis and a few blood tests
- Pressure
- BreatBlood Test
- Blooding
- Heart Rate
The available treatment options are medication if you have drunk it. In the case of inhaling soapy water, the treatments may be different. For children immediate treatment is inevitable. Treating such cases at home can be fatal.
If you want to treat the symptoms it’s important not to drink this water again.
How To Purify Soapy Water For Drinking: Steps
Water treatment plants purify this soapy water from chemicals and impurities to make it safe for drinking. The only way to purify soap from water is to let it react to other substances. Let’s see how they do it in the steps below:
Ingredients Required To Remove Soap From Water:
- Powder detergent
- Water
- Epsom Salt
- Filter Paper
- Water Test Kit
Step-1: Make soapy water by mixing 1 spoonful of detergent in the water.
Step-2: Pass this mixture from the filter paper into a beaker.
Step-3: Separate out the foam of soap by filtering.
Step-4: Now add water cleaning tablets.
Step-5: Add Epsom Salt or any other salt to let the remaining impurities settle down.
Step-6: Wait for a few minutes to let the salt react properly with the soap.
Step-7: Use filter paper again to filter it out.
Step-8: Now test this water through the test kit to make sure it’s able to drink or not.
If it has still impurities use water cleaning filters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens If You Drink a Little Bit of Dish Soap?
No need to get panic if you accidently drink a bit of dish soap. It’s safe. You can go without experiencing any symptoms if the quantity of soapy water is very small. You need to worry when you feel vomiting, nauseous and abdominal pain.
Is Dish Soap Toxic to Humans?
According to Environmental Working Group research about 60&% of dish soap are toxic to human. Almost all cleaning agents that contain alcohol, chlorine, and hydrogen peroxide are toxic. Nowadays harsh chemicals are used in detergents to make them more effective for dishwashing At the same time if ingested they can cause serious health hazards.
What Happens If You Drink Water with Dishwashing Liquid?
It is highly recommended to drink water after accidentally swallowing dishwashing liquid. In this way, the consistency of the cleaning agent will change and it will no longer stay diluted. Water can also help to reduce the potency of the cleaning agents. It is likely to help you to digest liquid properly.
If you live with pets and children, store dishwashing liquids in small bottles and out of the reach of children.
Conclusion
Soapy water is responsible for causing soap poisoning in humans. According to the survey, 99% of branded detergents use toxic elements not good for ingestion. If someone gulps it accidentally it is likely to pose serious gastrointestinal issues.
If you want to stay healthy drink healthy, drink clean, and filtered water. This is water that you drink decides your health and freshness. So, keep drinking water clean!
