QUALITY OF WATER IN PORTUGAL Name :Ana Sousa / Cassandra Sousa / Rui Silva Class :4I Course : Profissional de Técnico de Higiene e Segurança do Trabalho e Ambiente Subject : Ambiente e Métodos de Análise de Risco do Trabalho (AMART ) Teacher:Ondina Filipe

Introduction Facts: Water is a mineral substance, source of oxygen and hydrogen, with singular characteristics and properties. It’s one of most important natural resources for all living beings and it is essential for their survival. Seventy percent of the earth is made up of water. Ninety-seven percent of the earth’s water is in oceans and seas while two percent is found on the icecaps. Seventy-five percent of the human body is made up of water and 90 percent of human blood is water.

Water quality for human consumption in Portugal According to the annual report on “Water Quality Control for Human Consumption”, water in Portugal for human consumption is excellent. Portuguese people can confidently drink from their taps. All water systems and supplies had quality control plans and, of the approximate 700,000 tests carried out, 98 percent fulfilled the defined parameters.

Water PH The technical definition of pH is that it is a measure of the activity of the hydrogen ion (H+) and is reported as the reciprocal of the logarithm of the hydrogen ion activity. Therefore, a water with a pH of 7 has 10-7 moles per liter of hydrogen ions; whereas, a pH of 6 is 10-6 moles per liter. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. In general, a water with a pH 7 is considered basic.

The water PH in Portugal Acidic waters ( lighter and easy to drink). Basic/ Alkaline waters (mineralized, heavier and easier to be refused by consumers).

Consequences of acidic/ basic(alkaline) waters Acidic basic

12 municipalities with bad water quality The Associação de Defesa do Consumidor (Consumer Defense Association)- Deco – identified poor water quality or improper for consumption in 12 municipalities but in general, water in Portugal has good quality.

Diseases related to contaminated water Water quality, specially microbiological quality has a great influence on men’s life. If it is not good, if it hasn’t good quality, it may cause serious diseases and epidemics. Contaminated water can spread infectious diseases.

Ways of water treatment for human consumption There are several ways of treating water, we just need to choose the best one for each case. Flocculation Decantation Filtration Disinfection Fluoridation

Water Framework Directive The Water Framework Directive is a key initiative aimed at improving water quality throughout the EU. It applies to rivers, lakes, groundwater, and coastal waters. The Directive requires an integrated approach to managing water quality on a river basin basis; with the aim of maintaining and improving water quality.

Questionnaire

Which legislation regulates Water Quality for human consumption? Decree-Law nr 306/2007, of 27 August. Decree-Law nr 306/2007, of 27 September. Decree-Law nr 307/2006, of 27 August

What’s the pH of water? None of the above. The ph value represents the acidity of water The ph value represents the acidity or the alkalinity of water.

What kind of diseases can people catch with contaminated water? Infectious diseases.Epidemics. Both answers are correct.

What’s the meaning of filtration? It’s the process in which water gets a chemical substance called aluminum sulfate It is the process in which flakes of impurity formed during flocculation sediment in appropriate tanks; The water goes through several layers of filtering material, usually sand, to retain smaller particles not retained in the previous process;

What’s the meaning of decantation? It is the process in which the flakes of impurity formed during flocculation sediment in appropriate tanks; The water goes through several layers of filtering material, usually sand, to retain smaller particles not retained in the previous process; It is the process in which flakes of impurity formed during flocculation sediment in appropriate tanks;

Bathing waters

Introdução: All living beings depend on water to survive. The amount of water available has been a major factor in the development of civilization. The quality of bathing waters represents not only a factor of health, but also an important indicator of environmental quality and tourism development.

Legislation The European Union (EU) introduces new legislation aimed at improving bathing water quality. This Directive enables water monitoring and management measures to be improved, and information to be made available to the public. Directive 2006/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006 concerning the management of bathing water quality and repealing Directive 76/160/EEC. The European Union (EU) is committed to protecting environmental quality and human health.

Diseases related to water pollution Several diseases are transmitted by ingestion of contaminated water or by contact. Generally, this happens in rural areas without sanitary facilities, where waste contaminates rivers and lakes, therefore favoring outbreaks of hepatitis and typhoid diseases.

Death by overeating The release of an excessive amount of organic substances in water, such as food waste and soaps, present in sewage from urban areas, may cause serious ecological imbalances. This occurs because these substances serve as food for microorganisms that make the decomposition of organic matter; most fish and other creatures.

Pollution by non-biodegradable substances The industries have been releasing, in bays and rivers, a large number of toxic substances such as heavy metals, pesticides (used in agriculture), detergents, oil etc. These non-biodegradable products, can not be decomposed by organisms or are slowly decomposed. So it accumulates in the bodies of living beings, causing diseases to organisms that live in water, destroying aquatic life and going, through the food chain, to man himself.

Identification of bathing waters and duration of the bathing season Under Decree-Law Nr. 135/2009 of June 3, as edited by Decree- Law Nr. 113/2012 of May 23, the identification procedure of bathing water goes annually and includes conducting a public consultation from January 2 to February 2, promoted by the Portuguese Environment Agency, IP (National Water Authority).

Monitoring the water quality In Portugal the sampling frequency is fixed taking into consideration the category of bathing water, its history and the pressures to which it is subject. Generally, water that achieved excellent annual ranking may be sampled with lower attendance than a bathing water that achieved acceptable classification or that got poor rating.

Whenever you see the following warning is inadvisable to take a bath:

Measures against water pollution Prohibition of dumping and imposition of heavy fines on polluting industries; Prohibition of manufacture non-biodegradable detergents; Construction of stations for the treatment of water and sewage. Construction of facilities to process the debris and animal waste into fertilizers for the production of fuel gas. Ban the release of oil products into the sea and putting in tankers, equipment that would separate oil from water.

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