scholarly journals Protection Perimeter of a New Mineral Water in an Essentially Urban Environment: The Case of the São Tiago Medical Spa (Portugal)

2021 ◽  
Vol 1203 (2) ◽  
pp. 022054
Author(s):  
Luis M. Ferreira Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Water ◽  
Future Orientation ◽  
New Mineral ◽  
Health Tourism ◽  
Natural Mineral ◽  
Natural Mineral Water ◽  
Protection Zone ◽  
Aquifer System

Abstract São Tiago medical spa is an integrated structure in a new Health Tourism Complex, in Penamacor, Portugal, with a recent start of operation, due to the classification of a new natural mineral water in place. That medical spa bases its exploration on the natural mineral water obtained from the Well P1. Thus, to facilitate the preservation of the quality of the resource, natural mineral water, one of the fundamental instruments is the implementation of a Protection Perimeter of Well P1 and its associated aquifer system. In this sense, in this paper, after briefly presenting the basic geoenvironmental aspects that are the base for the elaboration of the Protection Perimeter, the methodology of its elaboration is explained, with the final solution, which constitutes a territory organized by three zones: Immediate Protection Zone, Intermediate Protection Zone and Extended Protection Zone. The official restrictions legally foreseen for those zones are mentioned and the official systematization of the current occupation of the territory is presented, in terms of the Municipal Master Plan (PDM), while emphasizing the potential sources of existing pollution. Finally, some comments are made about the future orientation regarding the occupation of the territory in the interior zones of the Protection Perimeter, so that the new Health Tourism complex, consisting of a medical spa, hotel, and aqualudic spaces, endures in the time, and helps the sustained economic growth of the region.

scholarly journals The bacteriological quality of bottled natural mineral waters

1987 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 439-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Hunter ◽  
S. H. Burge
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Water ◽  
Mineral Waters ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Natural Mineral ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Point Of Sale ◽  
Natural Mineral Water ◽  
Bacteriological Quality ◽  
Gram Positive Cocci

SUMMARYFifty-eight bottles of natural mineral water, taken from the point of sale, were bacteriologically examined. No coliforms orAeromonas sp.were isolated from any sample. High total bacterial counts were found particularly in the still waters. Most of the organisms isolated in the total counts were Gram-negative rods, but Gram-positive organisms were also isolated. Gram-positive cocci were further identified, some of which were known human commensals suggesting contamination of the waters prior to bottling.

scholarly journals Good Practices of Quality Control in the Area Surrounding of Natural Mineral Water Abstraction of São Pedro Do Sul Medical Spa (Portugal)

2021 ◽  
Vol 906 (1) ◽  
pp. 012092
Author(s):  
Luís M. Ferreira Gomes ◽  
Ana Jorge ◽  
Liliana Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Mineral Water ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Analytical Control ◽  
Record System ◽  
Natural Mineral ◽  
Natural Mineral Water ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
External Monitoring

Abstract São Pedro do Sul medical spa is a space with a millenary tradition in providing health services from the natural hot groundwater. The main source of supply of this thermal unit, was along the time, the Traditional Spring, which in the last decades has been controlled, and shows to have constancy in the flow rate, with about 10 L/s, with a temperature of 68.6°C in the origin. From 1999 onwards, with the construction of new abstraction, Well AC1, with 500m deep, with a maximum flow rate of 12.2 L/s, at 67°C, the exploitation potential of this resource increased. Due to the fabulous characteristics of the resource’s potential (hot natural mineral water), there has been over time a great development in the spa medical activity, having already frequented these spa 25450 users per year, reflecting a maximum annual turnover of 5.4 million euros, coming from thermalism alone. Currently, there are two Bathhouses in operation and the resource is used, not only for therapeutic and wellness thermalism but also for geothermal uses and yet in the cosmetic area. This situation becomes the perfect scenario for attracting investment, increasing the circulation of people and goods, but also in the interest of building new bathhouses, hotels and restaurants and subsequently new roads, gardens, public drinking water and sanitation networks. All this pressure causes a lot of potential damage to the environment, including the underground water environment, and could eventually lead to the closure of the medical spa, if the natural mineral water from the abstractions become contaminated. In Portugal, there are several legally imposed defensive mechanisms of the mineral aquifer system, namely the implementation of the Protection Perimeter, but also the analytical control of the natural mineral water, at the abstraction head, both in chemical and microbiological terms, in addition to the orientation to have an automatic, on-line, record system associated to the abstractions, monitoring parameters such as: water level, flow rate, temperature, pH and conductivity of the water captured. However, the Sao Pedro do Sul medical spa go further, implementing an external monitoring system, consisting of: i) double piezometers (to sample groundwater at different depths), ii) street rainwater samplers, and iii) records precipitation and respective quality. Thus, in this paper, after a brief presentation of the importance of the resource and the physical aspects of the place (geology, hydrogeology and quality of the resource), the fundamental elements of the implemented external monitoring system and its main results are presented, showing that precipitation itself is already contaminated, that street rainwater sample presents chemical elements that are highly harmful to public health, and that groundwater sometimes presents very worrying results. Finally, some actions are mentioned that have been implemented to minimize the potential for contamination of natural mineral water from abstractions and the mineral aquifer system.

scholarly journals Physicochemical and microbiological evaluation of natural mineral water produced in Mato Grosso State, Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Ilza Conceição Tomaselli Ribeiro ◽  
Adriana Paiva de Oliveira ◽  
Andressa De Souza David ◽  
Kamila Cristina Oliveira ◽  
Marcia Helena Scabora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physicochemical Parameters ◽  
Mineral Water ◽  
Mineral Waters ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Coliform Bacteria ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Natural Mineral ◽  
Natural Mineral Water ◽  
Industrialization Process

The aim of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological properties of natural mineral waters bottled in 20 liter containers produced in Mato Grosso - Brazil. For this study, three lots of eight brands produced in the state and commercialized in Cuiabá were analyzed. The physicochemical parameters determined were pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, metals, ammonium, anions and glyphosate, and the measurements were made according to the Adolfo Lutz Institute and Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Chromogenic enzymatic substrates were used to determine Coliform bacteria and filtration with a filtering membrane was used for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa count. The results were compared with national and international legislation on bottled water and the labeled values. All physicochemical parameters, except for pH, showed concordant results with maximum values allowed by Brazilian and international law for the quality of bottled natural mineral waters. Six samples were investigated for the presence of coliforms and P. aeruginosa at 35 ºC. The results suggested possible contamination and failure during the industrialization process and the requirement for inspection during collection, manufacturing, labeling and commercialization of the natural mineral water bottled in 20 liter containers.

scholarly journals Assessing natural mineral water microbiology quality in the absence of cultivable pathogen bacteria

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Totaro ◽  
Beatrice Casini ◽  
Paola Valentini ◽  
Mario Miccoli ◽  
Pier Luigi Lopalco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Water ◽  
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ◽  
Mineral Waters ◽  
Acanthamoeba Polyphaga ◽  
Natural Mineral ◽  
Natural Mineral Water ◽  
Cultivable Bacteria ◽  
Water Microbiology ◽  
Microbiological Indicators

Abstract Italian Directives recommend the good quality of natural mineral waters but literature data assert a potential risk from microorganisms colonizing wellsprings and mineral water bottling plants. We evaluated the presence of microorganisms in spring waters (SW) and bottled mineral waters (BMW) samples. Routine microbiological indicators, additional microorganisms like Legionella spp., Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and amoebae (FLA) were assessed in 24 SW and 10 BMW samples performing cultural and molecular methods. In 33 out of 34 samples, no cultivable bacteria ≥10 CFU/L was found. Cultivable FLA were detected in 50% of water samples. qPCR showed the presence of Legionella qPCR units in 24% of samples (from 1.1 × 102 to 5.8 × 102 qPCR units/L) and NTM qPCR units in 18% of samples (from 1 × 102 to 1 × 105 qPCR units/L). Vermamoeba vermiformis and Acanthamoeba polyphaga were recovered respectively in 70% of BMW samples (counts from 1.3 × 103 to 1.2 × 105 qPCR units/L) and 42% of SW samples (from 1.1 × 103 to 1.3 × 104 qPCR units/L). Vahlkampfia spp. was detected in 42% of SW and 70% of BMW samples (from 1.2 × 103 to 1.2 × 105 qPCR units/L). Considering the presence of FLA, we underline the importance of a wider microbiological risk assessment in natural mineral waters despite the absence of cultivable bacteria.

Creation of innovative experimental prototypes to meet health safety challenges in thermal spas

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Dubourg ◽  
Joël Lagière ◽  
Sébastien Labarthe ◽  
Céline Ohayon
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Water ◽  
Water System ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Thermal Treatments ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
Natural Mineral ◽  
Natural Mineral Water ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
The One

It is essential to preserve the quality of natural mineral water from its origin to the points of use, so as to ensure sanitary safety for patients within the thermal spas. The complexity of water systems may lead to issues linked to microbiological and physico-chemical contaminations which are necessary to be solved in order to keep the installations in compliance with the regulations in force. In order to provide the thermal spa sector with means to achieve this goal, the team at the Institut du Thermalisme – Bordeaux University aimed at finding a relevant solution, i.e. designing and making two original and innovating prototypes which reproduce – in miniature – the natural mineral water system we can find in thermal spas. These two prototypes are different due to the nature of the materials they are made of. It is possible to get significant improvements in the research: on the one hand, linked to the general working of a thermal water system connected to individual or collective care units and, on the other hand, improvements in the research on keeping the quality of natural mineral water. Also, to solve microbiological and physico-chemical contamination issues, chemical and thermal treatments can be used.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document