Natural Spring Water Research Articles

A small outbreak of tularemia in a rural area

To assess clinically and epidemiologically an outbreak of tularemia detected in a small village in Tokat Province in Turkey. Materials and methods: Recorded clinical and laboratory data of 15 serologically confirmed patients, who either presented to hospital or were diagnosed during family medicine visits to the village during the outbreak, were assessed. Forms including a questionnaire about the symptomatology and previously given treatments were filled out by the patients. In addition, the entire village was investigated to establish the origin of the outbreak. Results: Ages of the 15 individuals (9 females) ranged between 10 and 75, and the mean was 34.2 ± 12.4. Thirteen patients matched the oropharyngeal type and 2 the oculoglandular type. The field investigation of the village revealed that open-air drinking water sources were not sufficiently chlorinated, and the villagers used to consume natural spring water. The outbreak was controlled via chlorination, with advice to the people to use clean water sources and limit natural spring water consumption. Conclusion: Tularemia has become an emerging infection particularly due to the increase in water- and food-based outbreaks in recent years. The crucial step in its diagnosis is the clinical suspicion of tularemia since it is still an underestimated disease in Turkey. Therefore, clinicians should be informed about where the entity is common. It is suggested that safe drinking water sources should be provided by the authorities, and open-air natural spring water sources should be avoided for the control of outbreaks.

A NOVEL ECONOMICAL METHOD FOR SULPHIDE REMOVAL FOR SULPHUR SPRING WATER USING ACTIVATED CARBON PREPARED FROM PALM TREES BASE FROND

A water treatment technique are highly expensive and has great pressure on the economy of the countries .It is the time to find out economic and effective methods for water treatment specially natural spring water of high physical and chemical properties. The aim of study was depends on exploitation of activated carbon prepared from palm trees fronds in the treatment of the water of sulfur spring to get rid of the major polluting materials for public use. The treatment process was applied on samples taken from the spring in the center of Heet , a town situated on Abu jir crater paralleling the Euphrates across the cracking area in the lime formation. The study showed high efficiency of the activated carbon prepared from palm trees base fronds in eliminating sulfide from the water sulfur spring. The elimination efficiency was about 99%. A study was conducted to assess the efficiency of sulfide elimination and its relation with the sulfide concentration and the retention time.The interference effect of some common anions and cations and heavy metals (Cr,Mn,Fe,Ni,Cu and Zn) was investigated . There were also excellent results in the treatment of some physical and chemical properties and there was also a noticeable decrease in the concentration of the trace elements in the treated water below the standard limits. A rise in the concentration of zinc and chloride concentration accompanied with the treatment process of with the activated carbon pillar. Keywords: sulphide ion, spring waters, activated carbon, water treatment, palm trees fronds activated carbon. .

Transport of Escherichia coli strains isolated from natural spring water

We present a new methodology to scale up bacteria transport experiments carried out in the laboratory to practical field situations. The key component of the methodology is to characterize bacteria transport not by a constant sticking efficiency, but by a range of sticking efficiency values determined from laboratory column experiments. In this study, initially, we harvested six Escherichia coli strains from springs in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and then we carried out a number of experiments with 1.5m high columns of quartz sand with various sampling ports in order to determine the fraction of bacteria as a function of sticking efficiency. Furthermore, we developed a simple mathematical formulation, based on the steady-state analytical solution for the transport of mass in the subsurface, to arrive at bacteria concentrations as a function of transport distance. The results of the quartz sand column experiments indicated that the fractional bacteria mass and sticking efficiency of most of the strains we harvested could be adequately described by a power law. When applying the power distributions to the field situation in Kampala, we found that the transport distance required to reduce bacteria concentrations with five log units ranged from 1.5 to 23m, and this was up to three times more than when using a constant sticking efficiency. The methodology we describe is simple, can be carried out in a spreadsheet, and in addition to parameters describing transport, like pore water flow velocity and dispersion, only two constants are required, which define the relation between sticking efficiency and percentage of bacteria mass.

Natural radionuclides in bottled drinking waters produced in Croatia and their contribution to radiation dose

Activity concentrations of 234U, 238U, 226Ra, 228Ra, 210Po and 210Pb in all Croatian bottled drinking natural spring and natural mineral water products, commercially available on the market, were determined. The samples originated from various geological regions of Croatia.Activity concentrations of measured radionuclides are in general decreasing in this order: 234U>238U>226Ra>228Ra>210Pb>210Po and 226Ra>228Ra>234U>238U>210Pb>210Po for natural spring and mineral waters, respectively.Based on the radionuclide activity concentrations average total annual effective ingestion doses for infants, children and adults, as well as contribution of each particular radionuclide to total dose, were assessed and discussed. The highest doses were calculated for children from 7 to 12years of age, which makes them the most critical group of population. All values for each type of water, as well as for each population group, were well below the recommended reference dose level (RDL) of 0.1mSv from one year's consumption of drinking water according to the European Commission recommendations from 1998.Contribution of each particular radionuclide to total doses varied among different water types and within each water type, as well as between different age groups, where the lowest contribution was found for uranium isotopes and the highest for 228Ra.

Determination of free CO2 in emergent groundwaters using a commercial beverage carbonation meter

Summary Dissolved CO2 in groundwater is frequently supersaturated relative to its equilibrium with atmospheric partial pressure and will degas when it is conveyed to the surface. Estimates of dissolved CO2 concentrations can vary widely between different hydrochemical facies because they have different sources of error (e.g., rapid degassing, low alkalinity, non-carbonate alkalinity). We sampled 60 natural spring and mine waters using a beverage industry carbonation meter, which measures dissolved CO2 based on temperature and pressure changes as the sample volume is expanded. Using a modified field protocol, the meter was found to be highly accurate in the range 0.2–35 mM CO2. The meter provided rapid, accurate and precise measurements of dissolved CO2 in natural waters for a range of hydrochemical facies. Dissolved CO2 concentrations measured in the field with the carbonation meter were similar to CO2 determined using the pH-alkalinity approach, but provided immediate results and avoided errors from alkalinity and pH determination. The portability and ease of use of the carbonation meter in the field made it well-suited to sampling in difficult terrain. The carbonation meter has proven useful in the study of aquatic systems where CO2 degassing drives geochemical changes that result in surficial mineral precipitation and deposition, such as tufa, travertine and mine drainage deposits.

Eliminating turbidity in drinking water using the mucilage of a common cactus

Diced Nopal cladodes (pads) have been used for the treatment of turbid natural spring waters in Latin America. To investigate this phenomenon, the mucilage derived from the species Opuntia ficus-indica was investigated. Comparison against the commonly used synthetic flocculant, aluminium sulfate (Al2(SO4)3) demonstrated the high efficiency of the cactus to eliminate turbidity. The mucilage extract increased particulate settling rates 330% compared with aluminium sulfate, at dosage concentrations of 3 mg L−1, while its performance was equivalent at doses 0.3% of the required Al2(SO4)3 concentration. The cactus mucilage, which consists of complex carbohydrates and sugars, has unique surface activity characteristics that make it an ideal candidate for enhancing dispersion properties, creating emulsifications, and for reducing the surface tension of high polarity liquids. These results indicated that the Nopal cactus mucilage has the potential to be the basis for a new ‘green’ technology, which is environmentally benign and cost-effective.

Inexpensive and versatile method for trace Sn(II) and Sn(IV) ions in food samples by CPE/FAAS

Abstract In this work, a new cloud point extraction procedure was developed for the separation and preconcentration of tin ions in water and food samples. The method is based on the complexation of Sn(IV) ions with calcon carboxylic acid (CCA) in the presence of the non-ionic surfactant. The enriched analyte ions were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The proposed method is very versatile and economic, because it is used conventional FAAS. A preconcentration factor of 100 and detection limit of 2.86 μg L −1 were obtained from the calibration curve constructed in the range of 10–1300 μg L −1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9978. The method was successfully applied for determination of tin ions in certified reference materials (CRMs) (TMDA 53.3, TM 25.3, ERM-BCO84a and SRM 1548a) as well as natural spring water, canned foods and fruit juices. The method was statistically validated by comparing the results obtained with those provided by application of ICP-AES technique.

Retrospective of natural mineral waters and spring waters in Algeria: Regulatory Framework and Technical Aspects

In this paper, we present the current situation of both natural mineral waters and spring waters in Algeria. The evolution in legislation regarding the exploitation, production and marketing of bottled natural mineral and spring water are discussed in the first part. A critical analysis of this legislation, through a comparative study with European and international legislations is also exposed in this study. In the second part, an inventory of operating sites of natural mineral water or spring water is given. Then, the physicochemical characterization and classification of waters on the different sites of natural mineral waters are presented. Finally, in order to establish a database for natural mineral waters and spring waters in Algeria, the first data are then given.

Resistance of alkali-activated slag mortar to abrasion and fire

This study investigates the durability of alkali-activated slag mortar exposed to abrasion and fire. Alkali-activated slag mortar is made by activating ground-granulated blast furnace slag with sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium metasilicate and sodium silicate without adding Portland cement. Mortars were made with CEN reference sand, ground granulated blast-furnace slag, alkali-activator and natural spring water. The sand–slag and water–slag materials ratios were 3·0 and 0·50 for all mixtures, respectively. At 28 days, the specimens were exposed to horizontal Böhme abrasion and vertical grinding abrasion tests and to an elevated temperature of 1000°C for a fire test. The highest abrasion resistance was observed from the slag mortar activated by sodium silicate and sodium metasilicate. Sodium hydroxide showed superior fire resistance when compared with Portland cement mortar and other alkali-activated slag mortars.

Measurements of radon concentration in drinking water samples from Kastamonu (Turkey)

Concentration of 222Rn was determined in selected natural spring and tap water samples collected during spring and summer seasons from Kastamonu, Turkey. The aim of this work was to produce a map of the radon concentrations in water sources of the province and to determine any potential radiological risk for the local population. Radon measurements were performed by an AlphaGUARD radon gas analyser. The average radon concentrations were found to vary from 0.39±0.02 to 12.73±0.39 Bq l−1 for natural springs and from 0.36±0.04 to 9.29±0.45 Bq l−1 for tap water in spring, from 0.50±0.09 to 19.21±1.00 Bq l−1 for natural springs and from 0.31±0.03 to 13.14±0.38 Bq l−1 for tap water in summer. Furthermore, the results are compared with international recommendations and concentrations reported for other countries. Doses resulting from the consumption of these waters were calculated. The effective dose equivalents due to the intake of the 222Rn present in these waters are expected to range from 0.93 to 32.54 μSv y−1 in summer and from 0.80 to 49.09 μSv y−1 in spring.

Microbiological composition of untreated water during different weather conditions

Introduction: Water can support the growth of different microorganisms which may result in contamination. Therefore, the microbiological examination is required for testing the hygienic probity of water. In the study of microbial composition of untreated, natural spring and mineral water differences in the presence and number of bacteria during the two periods, winter and summer, are detectable.Methods: In our study, we analyzed and compared the following parameters, specified in the Rulebook: total bacteria and total aerobic bacteria (ml/22 and 37°C), total Coliform bacteria and Coliforms of fecalorigin (MPN/100ml), fecal streptococci as Streptococcus faecalis (MPN/100ml), Proteus spp (MPN/100ml), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MPN/100 ml) Sulphoreducing Clostridia (cfu / ml). The paper is a retrospective study in which we processed data related to the period of 2005-2009 year. While working, we used the descriptive-analytical comparative statistical treatment.Results: The obtained results show statistically significant differences in the microbial composition of untreated water in the two observed periods,Conclusions: Findings were consequence of different weather conditions in these periods, which imply a number of other variable factors.

Rapid determination of 226Ra in drinking water samples using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with liquid scintillation counting

A new radioanalytical method was developed for rapid determination of 226Ra in drinking water samples. The method is based on extraction and preconcentration of 226Ra from a water sample to an organic solvent using a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) technique followed by radiometric measurement using liquid scintillation counting. In DLLME for 226Ra, a mixture of an organic extractant (toluene doped with dibenzo-21-crown-7 and 2-theonyltrifluoroacetone) and a disperser solvent (acetonitrile) is rapidly injected into the water sample resulting in the formation of an emulsion. Within the emulsion, 226Ra reacts with dibenzo-21-crown-7 and 2-theonyltrifluoroacetone and partitions into the fine droplets of toluene. The water/toluene phases were separated by addition of acetonitrile as a de-emulsifier solvent. The toluene phase containing 226Ra was then measured by liquid scintillation counting. Several parameters were studied to optimize the extraction efficiency of 226Ra, including water immiscible organic solvent, disperser and de-emulsifier solvent type and their volume, chelating ligands for 226Ra and their concentrations, inorganic salt additive and its concentration, and equilibrium pH. With the optimized DLLME conditions, the accuracy (expressed as relative bias, Br) and method repeatability (expressed as relative precision, SB) were determined by spiking 226Ra at the maximum acceptable concentration level (0.5 Bq L−1) according to the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. Accuracy and repeatability were found to be less than −5% (Br) and less than 6% (SB), respectively, for both tap water and bottled natural spring water samples. The minimum detectable activity and sample turnaround time for determination of 226Ra was 33 mBq L−1 and less than 3 h, respectively. The DLLME technique is selective for extraction of 226Ra from its decay progenies.

Simultaneous Electrokinetic and Hydrodynamic Injection for High Sensitivity Bacteria Analysis in Capillary Electrophoresis

A repeatable preconcentration electrophoretic methodology for the analysis of bacteria was developed. This method is based on an isotachophoretic mode coupled with a simultaneous hydrodynamic-electrokinetic injection in conditions of field-amplified sample injection. This electrophoretic method allows the quantification of Enterobacter cloacae (studied as a model of Gram negative bacteria) with a limit of detection of 2 × 10(4) cells/mL. With the optimized conditions, a preconcentration factor of about 500-fold was obtained as compared to a standard hydrodynamic injection. The RSD (n = 5) on the migration time and on the peak area were 3% and 5%, respectively. This capillary electrophoretic methodology has been applied for the quantification of microbes in natural water (river and natural spring waters). Filtration of the sample prior to injection was required to remove ions present in the water and to keep the field-amplified sample injection condition at the injection. Filtrated bacteria were then recovered in terminating electrolyte diluted 10 times with water. Good agreements were obtained between cellular ATP measurements and the proposed CE methodology for the quantification of bacteria in waters.

Nitrate and Nitrite Levels of Natural Spring and Mineral Water in Van, Turkey

Nitrate and Nitrite Levels of Natural Spring and Mineral Water in Van, Turkey

Eaux minérales naturelles et eaux de sources en Algérie

An up-to-date inventory of natural mineral and spring waters in Algeria is here presented. First, the legislation regarding exploitation, production and marketing of the latter is compared to the EU and international ones. Then, a physicochemical characterization and classification of the water types are proposed as well as a tentative establishment of a database for natural mineral and spring waters in Algeria.

Kinetic spectrophotometric determination of trace copper(II) ions by their catalytic effect on the reduction of brilliant cresyl blue by ascorbic acid

In the present study, a novel catalytic-kinetic spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of trace amounts of copper. It is based on the catalytic effect of Cu(II) on the reduction of brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) by ascorbic acid in pH 5.0 acetate buffer medium. The reaction was monitored spectrophotometrically by measuring the decrease in absorbance of BCB at 624 nm. The operating conditions regarding concentration of reagents, pH, time, and temperature were established and optimized in detail. The working curve was linear in the concentration range of 0.1-5.0 \mu g L^{-1}. The maximum percentage error and standard deviation for 5 replicate determination of the 3 \mu g L^{-1} Cu(II) were 3.20 and 0.45, respectively. The detection limit and quantification limit were 0.025 and 0.086 \mu g L^{-1}, respectively. The procedure was successfully applied to determination of dissolved copper levels of 3 different natural spring waters and artificially prepared wastewater samples. The accuracy of the proposed kinetic method was tested by means of 5 replicate analyses of the certified standard materials, SRM 1640, based on 2 independent methods.

Highly sensitive and selective spectrofluorimetric approach for the rapid determination of trace benzo[α]pyrene in drinking water and in solutions leached from disposable paper cups

Based on the excellent band narrowing and background suppressing features of second-derivative constant-energy synchronous spectrofluorimetry with a Δ⁻υ value of 1400 cm(-1) , the strong fluorescence intensity for benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) obtained in dichloromethane and the use of standard addition method, a highly sensitive and selective approach for the quantitative determination of trace amount of BaP in drinking water has been established in this study. The detection and quantification limits were 0.11 and 0.37 ng L(-1) , respectively, and the recoveries obtained from spiked Milli-Q water, bottled natural spring water, tank-purified water and tap water at different concentrations, ranged from 86.0 to 104.0%. This method has been applied for the determination of trace BaP in solution leached from disposable paper cups. The experimental results indicated that BaP was leached from paper cups when filled with hot water, but it was not detected when cool (unheated) water was used.

Residual compressive strength of fire‐damaged mortar after post‐fire‐air‐curing

AbstractThe effects of cooling regimes and post‐fire‐air‐curing on compressive strength of mortar were investigated. Mortars were made with CEN reference sand, CEM I 42.5 R cement and natural spring water. The sand–cement and water–cement materials' ratios were chosen as 3.0 and 0.50 for all mixtures, respectively. At 28 days, the specimens were heated to maximum temperatures of 400, 600, 800 and 1000°C. Specimens were then allowed to cool in the air, furnace and water. After cooling, the specimens were air‐recured. Compressive strength test was carried out before air‐recuring and after 7 days of air‐recuring. The highest reduction in compressive strength was observed at 1000°C regardless of cooling regime. Gradual cooling regime in air and furnace without post curing showed almost no difference in terms of compressive strength reduction for four elevated temperatures. Shock cooling in water caused significant reduction in compressive strength compared with both gradual cooling regimes without post curing. After air and furnace cooling regimes, 7 days air‐recured specimens showed further reduction in compressive strength for four elevated temperatures. Specimens cooled in water and subjected to 7 days air‐recuring showed significant strength gain approximately 39, 100 and 130% for 400, 600 and 800°C elevated temperature, respectively. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Radon Balneology

Curative waters were regarded as containing radon only if the concentration was higher than 18 nanocuries. For inhalation, spa towns were still happy with an aerosol concentration of about 5 nanocuries/liter. Gas was released from natural spring water, and people taking spa cures were placed under perspex covers at their inhalation seats. The main indications were rheumatic disorders (1, 2). The Erlangen-Nurnberg working group pointed out twice in their article (3) that emanations other than from uranium mines were not their subject. However, they none the less requested a rigorous risk-benefit analysis of such emanations. However, if they then categorize radon as “the second most important cause of lung cancer [after cigarette smoking] in the general population without occupational exposure,” then readers of medical journals might expect to see a clear position on curative treatments using radon. In my place of birth we often played in a radon cave, whose entrance had been destroyed in the second world war. We grew up in a wine growing area, and instead of torches we used candles in the long tunnel (where concentrations of carbon dioxide are high the flame will extinguish). Later at school we learnt that if spring water flows over radium containing rock (Ra 223/half life 1600 years), the first resulting breakdown product to become dissolved in the water is radon (Rn 222). The noble gas radon has a half life of 3.28 days and is said to be soluble not only in water and blood but also in fat. Depending on the breathing techniques of test volunteers and on environmental temperatures, concentrations of between 0.6 and 1.6 picocuries/ml blood have been measured in the Bockstein thermal healing cave at Bad Gastein.

Stable isotope composition of Hellenic bottled waters

Bottled waters are an increasingly significant product in the human diet. In this work, we present a dataset of stable isotope ratios for bottled waters sampled in Greece. A total of 25 domestic brands of bottled still waters, collected on the Greek market in 2009, were analysed for δ 18O and δ 2H. The measured stable isotope ratios range from − 9.9‰ to − 6.9‰ for δ 18O and from − 67.50‰ to − 46.5‰ for δ 2H. Comparison of bottled water isotope ratios with natural spring water isotope ratios demonstrates that on average the isotopic composition of bottled water tends to be similar to the composition of naturally available local water sources, showing that bottled water isotope ratios preserve information about the water sources from which they were derived and suggesting that in many cases bottled water should not be considered as an isotopically distinct component of the human diet. This investigation also helped to determine the natural origin of bottled water, and to indicate differences between the natural and production processes. The production process may influence the isotopic composition of waters. No such modification was observed for sampled waters in this study. The isotopic methods applied can be used for the authentication of bottled waters and for use in the regulatory monitoring of water products.