O. Schmoll

Bio: O. Schmoll is an academic researcher from Environment Agency. The author has contributed to research in topics: Groundwater pollution & Groundwater. The author has an hindex of 11, co-authored 24 publications receiving 538 citations.

Protecting Groundwater for Health: Managing the Quality of Drinking-water Sources

Abstract: Protecting drinking-water resources is the first barrier against pathogens and substances hazardous to health. Practitioners in drinking-water supply or surveillance - from the local and technical level up to senior management - have a key role in initiating collaboration with other sectors, such as environment, land-use planning, or agriculture towards safeguarding drinking-water sources. Protecting Groundwater for Health provides a structured approach to analysing hazards to groundwater quality, assessing the risk they may cause for a specific supply, setting priorities in addressing these, and developing management strategies for their control. For health professionals, it thus is a tool for access to environmental information needed for such a process, and for professionals from other sectors, it gives a point of entry for understanding health aspects of groundwater management. This book presents tools for developing strategies to protect groundwater for health by managing the quality of drinking-water sources. Section I covers the natural science background needed to understand which pathogens and chemicals are relevant to human health, how they are transported in the sub-surface and how they may be reduced, removed or retarded. Section II provides guidance for compiling information needed to characterise the drinking-water catchment area in order to assess health hazards potentially reaching groundwater. Section III provides conceptional guidance on prioritising both hazards and management responses. Section IV provides an overview of the potential management actions that may be taken to protect drinking-water sources. These begin with their integration into a comprehensive Water Safety Plan that covers all supply steps from catchment to consumer. Section V provides an overview of measures to prevent pollution from human activities in the catchment, beginning with the overarching issues of policy, land-use planning and implementation for protecting groundwater. Overviews are presented of the specific management approaches that help avoid groundwater pollution from the range of human activities in the catchment, i.e. agriculture, sanitation practices, industry, mining, military sites, waste disposal and traffic.

Groundwater and public health

Abstract: 1 Groundwater and public health Water-related disease remains one of the major health concerns in the World. Diarrhoeal diseases, which are largely derived from poor water and sanitation account for 2.4 million deaths each year and contribute over 73 million Disability Adjusted Life Years per annum (WHO, 1999). On a global scale, this places diarrhoeal disease sixth highest cause of mortality and third in the list of morbidity and it is estimated that 5.7 per cent of the global disease burden is derived from poor water, sanitation and hygiene (Prüss et al., 2002). This health burden is primarily borne by the populations in developing countries and by children. At 2002 estimates, one-sixth of humanity (1.1 billion people) lack access to any form of improved water supply within 1 kilometre of their home and one-fifth of humanity (2.6 billion people) lack access to some form of improved excreta disposal (WHO and UNICEF, 2004). These figures relate to the clear definitions provided in the updated Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment Report and are shown in Table 1.1 below. Table 1.1. Definition of improved and unimproved water supply and sanitation facilities (WHO and UNICEF, 2004). Water supply Sanitation Improved Unimproved Improved Unimproved Household connection Unprotected well Connection to a public sewer Public standpipe Unprotected spring Connection to a septic system Service or bucket latrines (where excreta removed manually) Boreholes Vendor-provided water Pour-flush latrine Public latrines Protected dug well Bottled water Simple pit latrine Latrines with an open pit Protected spring Tanker-truck provided water Ventilated improved pit latrine Rainwater collection If the quality of water or sanitation were taken into account, these numbers of people without access to water supplies and sanitation would increase even further. Endemic and epidemic disease derived from poor water supply affects all nations. Outbreaks of waterborne disease continue to occur in both developed and developing countries, leading to loss of life, avoidable disease and economic costs to individuals and communities. The improvement of water quality control strategies, in conjunction with improvements in excreta disposal and personal hygiene can be expected to deliver substantial health gains in the population. This book provides information on strategies for the protection of groundwater sources used for drinking water as a component of an integrated approach to drinking-water safety management (WHO, 2004; Davison et al., 2004). The importance of source protection as the first stage of managing water quality has been an important …

Groundwater protection zones.

Abstract:  The natural protection of groundwater (GW) in the Jeita catchment is insufficient.  Numerous pollution sources exist in the GW catchment.  Groundwater protection zones are used worldwide to reduce the risk of pollution.  The zoning scheme (zones 1-3) depends on the travel time in GW and the risk of contamination at the drinking water source to be protected.  A set of different landuse restrictions are imposed in the delineated zones.  A control mechanism is required (environmental police).

Water Resources: Agricultural and Environmental Issues

Abstract: The increasing demands placed on the global water supply threaten biodiversity and the supply of water for food production and other vital human needs. Water shortages already exist in many regions, with more than one billion people without adequate drinking water. In addition, 90% of the infectious diseases in developing countries are transmitted from polluted water. Agriculture consumes about 70% of fresh water worldwide; for example, approximately 1000 liters (L) of water are required to produce 1 kilogram (kg) of cereal grain, and 43,000 L to produce 1 kg of beef. New water supplies are likely to result from conservation, recycling, and improved water-use efficiency rather than from large development projects.

Contamination of water resources by pathogenic bacteria

Abstract: Water-borne pathogen contamination in water resources and related diseases are a major water quality concern throughout the world. Increasing interest in controlling water-borne pathogens in water resources evidenced by a large number of recent publications clearly attests to the need for studies that synthesize knowledge from multiple fields covering comparative aspects of pathogen contamination, and unify them in a single place in order to present and address the problem as a whole. Providing a broader perceptive of pathogen contamination in freshwater (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, groundwater) and saline water (estuaries and coastal waters) resources, this review paper attempts to develop the first comprehensive single source of existing information on pathogen contamination in multiple types of water resources. In addition, a comprehensive discussion describes the challenges associated with using indicator organisms. Potential impacts of water resources development on pathogen contamination as well as challenges that lie ahead for addressing pathogen contamination are also discussed.