Water-intolerant

Water-intolerant describes a state or characteristic of something that is adversely affected by exposure to water. This can apply to various contexts, including physical materials that degrade, biological entities that cannot survive or function properly in water, and even abstract concepts. Water intolerance often manifests as physical damage, functional impairment, or outright destruction. It is a specific type of sensitivity to the presence or effects of water, different from simple avoidance, dehydration or hydrophobia, and often implies an immediate or significant negative consequence resulting from water contact. The degree of intolerance can range from mild, where exposure causes slight damage or malfunction, to severe, where it results in complete failure.

Water-intolerant meaning with examples

• The ancient papyrus scrolls were stored in a climate-controlled environment because they were extremely water-intolerant. Even a small amount of moisture would cause the fragile materials to crumble and become unreadable, rendering their historical value useless. The preservation of these texts demanded meticulous protection from any water exposure.
• Certain delicate electronic components, such as those found in advanced microchips, are water-intolerant. Spilled liquids can lead to short circuits, corrosion, and the complete failure of these devices. Manufacturers often encase them to provide extra protection to ensure reliability and longevity for the product.
• Some types of soil are water-intolerant, meaning that they become unstable, erode easily, and lose their structural integrity when saturated. This characteristic makes these soils less suitable for construction projects, as water can lead to dangerous and costly landslides and damage.
• A small colony of xerophytic bacteria were found in an unusually dry cave. They demonstrated that they were water-intolerant. Their cellular structures and metabolic processes cannot handle even small amounts of water, rendering water, a necessity for most lifeforms, an agent of destruction.
• After the flood, the artist discovered that his oil paintings were water-intolerant. The pigments started to bleed, and the canvas warped, ruining the artwork and expressing the inherent limitations of the materials in conditions of moisture.