AQUA-NATURA
®
About that
Today, 884 million people, about 1 in 8 people do not have access to safe drinking water.
• 97% of available water comes from groundwater. Over the next 20 years, these resources may be depleted.
• More than half of all European rivers are polluted. By 2050, 4.2 billion people, more than 45% of the world's population, will live in countries that will no longer be able to meet the demand for daily drinking water.
Pollution of water, what is it?
Water pollution is a physical, chemical, biological or bacteriological degradation of its natural qualities, caused by man and his activities. It disturbs the living conditions of flora and fauna and compromises the uses of water and the balance of the aquatic environment.
There are 3 types of water pollution:
DOMESTIC
Each Frenchman uses an average of 137 liters of water a day ... almost all of which is then discharged: domestic wastewater collects "domestic" water (kitchen and bathroom water) and water "Valves" (WC). Household water, which accounts for two-thirds of the total domestic wastewater, contains, in particular, fats, soaps and detergents, suspended solids and organic or mineral dissolved matter.
In total, the daily pollution produced by a person using 150 to 200 liters of water is evaluated at:
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70 to 90 g of suspended solids
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60 to 70 g of organic matter
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15 to 17 g of nitrogenous matter
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4 g of phosphorus
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X billion germs per 100 ml.
To this must be added the waste water discharged (effluents) by collective installations, such as hospitals, schools, shops, hotels and restaurants, etc.
AGRICULTURAL
Agriculture is the main cause of diffuse pollution of water resources. When considering agricultural pollution, it is necessary to include both crop and livestock. In particular, agricultural activities are largely involved in the supply of nitrogen and, above all, its derivatives, nitrates and nitrites, which are found in high concentrations in fertilizers, but also in manure and manure
At the national level, agriculture would contribute between one third and two thirds of the nitrogen present in the water. In agriculture-dominated regions, the share of agriculture in nitrogen emissions exceeds 55%. Pesticides used to treat crops are also a known source of degradation of water resources. Under the name of "phytosanitary products" there is in fact a multitude of substances, whose remanence in water can vary from one molecule to another. In general, however, it should be noted that the organochlorines are more persistent than the organophosphorus compounds.
INDUSTRIAL
On the contrary, industrial discharges are characterized by their great diversity, depending on the use made of water during the industrial process. Industries traditionally considered as rejecting substances that are particularly polluting to water include, among others, the food, paper, chemical, surface and leather industries.
According to the industrial activity, we will find therefore pollutions as diverse as:
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Organic matter and fats (slaughterhouses, agro-food industries, etc.),
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Hydrocarbons (petroleum industries, transport)
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Of metals (surface treatments, metallurgy)
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Acids, bases, various chemicals (chemical industries, tanneries ...)
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Of hot water (cooling circuits of thermal power stations)
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Radioactive materials (nuclear power plants, radioactive waste treatment, etc.).