Treatment techniques for production of mineral water
Product intro:
Mineral water is water from
a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such
as salts and sulfur
compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent)
according to the presence or absence of added gases.
Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at
their spring sources, often referred to as "taking the waters" or
"taking the cure," at places such as spas, baths,
or wells.
The term spa was used for a place where the water was consumed and
bathed in; bath where the water was used primarily for bathing,
therapeutics, or recreation; and well where the water was to be
consumed.
Today, it is far more common for mineral water to
be bottled at the source for distributed
consumption. Travelling to the mineral water site for direct access to the
water is now uncommon, and in many cases not possible because of exclusive
commercial ownership rights. There are more than 4,000 brands of mineral water
commercially available worldwide.
Uses :
A Source of
Magnesium
Mineral
water is a rich source of magnesium, which plays a major role in regulating
bodily functions such as nerve function, controlling blood glucose levels, and
regulating blood pressure
Depending
on the source, the amount of magnesium in mineral water may vary. The
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for magnesium are as follows 310-320 mg
for adult women
·
350-400 mg for pregnant women
·
310-360 mg for lactating women
·
400-420 mg for adult men
Magnesium
deficiency may cause symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, fatigue, muscle
weakness, tremors, and vertigo. In severe cases, it can also lead to seizures,
hearing loss, migraines, osteoporosis, and irregular heartbeat
2. May Help
Lower Blood Pressure
Mineral
water is a good source of calcium and magnesium Thus, it is said to be
beneficial for people with blood pressure issues. Magnesium and calcium deficiencies may contribute to
hypertension. Both these minerals are actively involved in the electrolytic
process of the human brain and body. This electrolytic balance is essential for
the maintenance of blood pressure and circulation. It also helps quicken
hydration in humans
A
study conducted by Göteborg University (Sweden) found that drinking mineral
water may help lower blood pressure in people with elevated blood pressure.
A
study conducted on 70 people with borderline hypertension also found that
drinking 1 litre of mineral water per day lowered their blood pressure
However, more studies are required
to understand the role of drinking mineral water in blood pressure management.
3. Promotes
Bone Health
Calcium
is the most important mineral involved in bone development. The calcium present
in mineral water is an important source of calcium intake. It strengthens
bones, teeth, and nails.
A
study conducted by the Saxon Balneology and Rehabilitation Medicine Research
Institute found that bioavailability of calcium from mineral water is
comparable to (and could even be better) than from dairy products .Another
study conducted on postmenopausal women found that regular intake of
calcium-rich mineral water increases the bone mineral density .
Furthermore,
controlling magnesium homeostasis may help maintain bone integrity
4. Improves
Digestive Health
Mineral
water contains magnesium sulfate and sodium sulfate that can help improve bowel
movement frequency and stool consistency when constipated. A study conducted in
Japan found that low magnesium intake is associated with constipation. Moreover,
adequate fluid intake has been shown to improve digestion
5. May Improve
Heart Health
A
study conducted on postmenopausal women by the Spanish Council for Scientific
Research found that sodium bi-carbonate mineral water affects cholesterol and
triacylglycerol metabolism after meals
Another
study conducted on postmenopausal women found that the intake of carbonated
mineral water intake decreases total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels,
which reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases .The magnesium levels in
drinking water are also said to be inversely associated with coronary heart
disease mortality
However, more long-term studies are
required to understand how drinking mineral water promotes heart health.
6. May Regulate
Body Fat
Mineral
water is an essential fat-free supplement that offers a good amount of fat
metabolizing minerals. It helps in fat breakdown, which is essential in burning
the layers of fat in the body. Thus, drinking mineral water before meals (1.5
l/day) along with a low-calorie diet can help in weight management
Now that you know all about the
health benefits of mineral water, let’s check out how it benefits your skin.
Processes:
Drinking water
supplies in the United States are among the safest in the world. However, even
in the U.S., drinking water sources can become contaminated, causing sickness
and disease from waterborne
germs,
such as Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Hepatitis A, Giardia
intestinalis, and other pathogens.
Drinking water
sources are subject to contamination and require appropriate treatment to
remove disease-causing agents. Public drinking water systems use various
methods of water treatment to provide safe drinking water for their
communities. Today, the most common steps in water treatment used by community
water systems (mainly surface water treatment) include:
Coagulation and Flocculation
Coagulation
and flocculation are often the first steps in water treatment. Chemicals with a
positive charge are added to the water. The positive charge of these chemicals
neutralizes the negative charge of dirt and other dissolved particles in the
water. When this occurs, the particles bind with the chemicals and form larger
particles, called floc.
Sedimentation
During
sedimentation, floc settles to the bottom of the water supply, due to its
weight. This settling process is called sedimentation.
Filtration
Once
the floc has settled to the bottom of the water supply, the clear water on top
will pass through filters of varying compositions (sand, gravel, and charcoal)
and pore sizes, in order to remove dissolved particles, such as dust,
parasites, bacteria, viruses, and chemicals.
Fluoridation
Fluoridation treats water supplies of communities to adjust the
concentration of free fluoride ions to an optimal level so that dental cavities
can be reduced. It is compulsory for Hunter Water to perform water fluoridation
to conform to the NSW Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Act 1957.
Flowsheet:
Pakistan, once a water-surplus
country, is now a water deficit country. The water availability has decreased
from 1,299 m³ per capita in 1996-97 to 1,100 m³ per capita in 2006 and it is
projected to less than 700 m³ per capita by 2025. Therefore, search for other
non-conventional water resources for irrigation i.e. wastewater, has become
important. In Pakistan, domestic and industrial wastewater is either discharged
directly to a sewer system, a natural drain or water body, a nearby field or an
internal septic tank. Mostly, this wastewater is not treated and none of the
cities have any biological treatment process except Islamabad and Karachi, and
even these cities treat only a small proportion .
Pakistan has become a water deficit
country due to depleting ground and surface water resources, loss in surface
shortage, prevailing droughts and shift of fresh water from agriculture to more
pressing domestic as well as industrial uses (Ensink et al., 2004). Therefore,
search for other non-conventional water resources for irrigation i.e.
wastewater has become important. The recent statistical data shows that the
Indus System and its tributaries provide an average 142 MAF of water annually.
Out of which nearly 96 MAF is utilized for irrigation, 36 MAF flows to sea and
about 10 MAF is consumed by the system losses which include seepage,
evaporation and spill during floods. Presently, 40.5 MAF groundwater is being
pumped annually and about 36% of the groundwater is classified as highly saline
and 60-80% as saline (Anonymous, 2011). Overall water availability has
decreased from 1,299 cubic meters (m³) per capita in 1996-97 to 1,100 m³ per
capita in 2006. It is projected that water availability will be less than 700
m³ per capita by 2025 against the international standard of 1500 m³ per capita
(Pak-SCEA 2006). The renewable water resources are estimated at 248 billion
m3/year. Surface runoff is estimated at 243 billion m3 /year, while groundwater
resources are about 55 billion m3 /year, most being the base flow of the river
system. Of which 96.8% is withdrawn for agricultural purposes, 1.6% for
domestic use and another 1.6% for industrial use. Pakistan would need more
additional water in future to meet irrigation and other requirements of the
people. This was not possible unless new storage dams were built.
Production
data:
Total discharge of wastewater for 14
major cities of Pakistan, computed on the basis of 1998 population census, is
about 1.83 × 107 m 3 h −1 (FAO, 2002). Latest estimates reveal (PWSS, 2002
& Table 1) that total quantity of wastewater produced in Pakistan is
962,335 million gallons (4.369 x 109 m 3 /yr) including 674,009 million gallons
(3.060 x 109 m 3 /yr; a figure of 5.54 x 109 m 3 /yr for the year 2011) from
municipal and 288,326 million gallons (1.309 x 109 m 3 /yr) from industrial
use. The total wastewater discharged to the major rivers is 392,511 million
gallons (1.782 x 109 m 3 /yr and 1/3rd of all wastewater), which includes
316,740 million gallons (1.438 x 109 m 3 /yr) of municipal and 75,771 million
gallons (0.344 x 109 m 3 /yr) of industrial effluents. Petrochemicals, paper
and pulp, food processing, tanneries, refineries, textile and sugar industries
are major industrial contributors to wastewater pollution in Pakistan (UNIDO,
2000). It has also been estimated that around 2,000 million gallons of sewage
is being discharged to local surface water bodies every day (Pak-SCEA 2006).
The industrial sub-sectors of paper and board, sugar, textile, cement,
polyester yarn, and fertilizer produce more than 80% of the total industrial
effluents (WB-CWRAS Paper 3, 2005).
12 Mineral Water Brands found
unsafe for human consumption in Pakistan:
The Ministry of Science and Technology Department's Pakistan
Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) claims twelve mineral water
brands in the country are unsafe for human consumption. Around 108 samples were
collected from different cities including Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta, Gilgit,
Karachi and Islamabad amongst others. The samples were then tested according to
international standards and out of twelve, nine mineral water brands are a
major source of hypertension.
The brand names mentioned in the list are; Ziran, MM Pure, Blue
Spring, Aqua Spring, Aqua Best, Blue Plus, Alpha 7 star, YK Pure, Leven Star,
Dista Water, DJOUR and Hibba. Besides this, Chenab has been tested and results
indicate that the water has the highest level of PH which can lead to acidosis
(acidity). Whereas, MM Pure and Blue Spring ensues the highest number of total
dissolved solids, declaring it totally unsafe for consumption.
It is extremely pertinent to understand drinking water that has
high PH levels and TDS can lead to several problems including, kidney damage,
parasites, hypertension and diarrhea.
How to improve the condition of
mineral water in Pakistan:
In Pakistan, a
variety of drinking
water sources are utilized
by citizens including
surface
water (open wells or
ponds), underground water (hand pumps), municipally supplied
water (taps) etc. However water contamination both microbiological and chemical
(particularly of arsenic)
is a major concern
in the country. Among 122
nations, Pakistan stand at number 80
in terms of drinking water
quality. Only 20% population of Pakistan is reported to have
access to safe
drinking water. Contaminated
water is estimated to account for 20-40%
of all diseases and
33% deaths in Pakistan resulting in a national income loss of PKR 25000-58000 million
that constitutes approximately
0.6-1.44 percent of GDP.
Increased awareness
among people regarding importance
of safe drinking and concerns regarding
poor quality of drinking
water especially among urban population
has also promoted the use of
bottled water that
led to the
development of mushroom
industry for bottled
water supply.
Improved
access to safe
drinking water, besides
being a development oriented
strategy can have
tangible improvements in socioeconomic status of a country in terms of
better health of its citizens that will lead to increased availability of labor force and reduced disease burden. Further stringent and collaborative efforts are
needed in terms of continuous monitoring of
water resources, better
water treatment and supply
infrastructure, improved sanitation
facilities
and
improved awareness among citizens regarding safe water
and hygiene to
meet the sustainable developmental goal for 2030 that targets provision of safe water to 100% of population
in the country.
Q: Why mineral water is bad for you?
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