Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Drinking water in Gaza Strip contaminated with high levels of nitrate
Slashdot It! Slashdot Drinking water in Gaza Strip contaminated with high levels of nitrate
Submit to Reddit Submit Drinking water in Gaza Strip contaminated with high levels of nitrate to Reddit
Reading: Drinking water in Gaza Strip contaminated with high levels of nitrateTwitter This Reading: Drinking water in Gaza Strip contaminated with high levels of nitrateTwitter Drinking water in Gaza Strip contaminated with high levels of nitrate
Add to Facebook Add Drinking water in Gaza Strip contaminated with high levels of nitrate to Facebook

Drinking water in Gaza Strip contaminated with high levels of nitrate

August 15, 2008

Gaza/Leipzig. Palestinian and German scientists have recommended to the authorities in the Gaza Strip that they take immediate measures to combat excessive nitrate levels in the drinking water. 90 per cent of their water samples were found to contain nitrate concentrations that were between two and eight times higher than the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), say the researchers from the University of Heidelberg and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) writing in the specialist journal Science of the Total Environment.

Over the long term they recommend that the best protection would be provided by quality management for groundwater resources. Groundwater is the only source of drinking water for the majority of people living in the Gaza Strip. In babies younger than six months, nitrate can lead to methaemoglobinaemia, to diarrhoea and to acidosis. The WHO therefore recommends keeping nitrate levels to 50 milligrams per litre or less. According to unpublished research, half of the 640 infants tested were already showing signs of methaemoglobinaemia. The new Palestinian-German study confirms earlier water analyses and is the first study to pinpoint a source of the contamination. With the help of isotope analyses, the researchers were able to demonstrate that the nitrate pollution can be traced back to manure used in farming and to wastewater.




With over 2600 people per square kilometre, the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas on earth. Because of their isolation, the inhabitants of this area between the Mediterranean, Egypt and Israel are reliant on being self-sufficient. The fields are mostly fertilized with chicken and cow dung. Artificial fertilizers account for only around a quarter of the fertilizer used. Because of the area's geology and the semi-arid climate, it is fairly easy for impurities to seep down from the surface into the aquifier system. Organic fertilizers and wastewater are the main causes of the nitrate contamination in the groundwater, followed by sewage sludge and artificial fertilizers. This was revealed by the isotope ratios of nitrogen (15N/14N) and oxygen (18O/16O) in the nitrate. Isotopes are variations of the same chemical element that have a different number of neutrons in their nuclei. 18O and 15N are stable, i.e. non-radioactive, isotopes that are heavier than "normal" oxygen (16O) or nitrogen (14N) and can therefore be measured using a mass spectrometer. "The lower 15N nitrogen isotope values in the sewage sludge indicate that the nitrate in the Gaza groundwater comes primarily from manure used as fertilizer," explains Dr Karsten Osenbrück of the UFZ. Between 2001 and 2007 the scientists took water samples from 115 municipal wells and 50 private wells on seven occasions. They measured nitrate concentrations of between 31 and 452 milligrams per litre. Only 10 of the 115 municipal wells examined were found to have a nitrate level below the WHO guideline value. The situation with the private wells was equally serious: apart from three, all the wells were found to have nitrate levels that were between five and seven times higher than the WHO recommendations.

Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres





Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud
This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size.
HIV   Chewing Gum   Plate Tectonics   Vitamin C   Stem Cell Transplant   HIV prevention   Reflux Disease   Alcohol Consumption   Chest Pain   Bacteria   Naltrexone   Bivalirudin   Overweight   Methane   Mathematics   Video Game   E Coli   Flu Virus   Esophageal Cancer   Ethanol   Polycystic kidney disease   Avian influenza   Nuclear Medicine   Synapses   Chronic Myeloid Leukemia  
Related Drinking Water Current Events and Drinking Water News Articles Drinking Water Current Events and Drinking Water News RSS Drinking Water Current Events and Drinking Water News RSS
Simple measures may prevent transmission of stomach ulcer bacteria
The stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori is not transmitted through drinking water as previously thought, but rather through vomit and possibly faeces.

Phthalic symbol
Immobilized microbes can break down potentially harmful phthalates, according to researchers in China, writing in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution.

The bitter side of sweeteners
Sewage treatment plants fail to remove artificial sweeteners completely from waste water.

Antibiotics, antimicrobials and antifungals in waterways
Antibiotics, antimicrobials and antifungals are seeping into the waterways of North America, Europe and East Asia, according to an investigation published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

CU-Boulder study shows 53 million-year-old high Arctic mammals wintered in darkness
Ancestors of tapirs and ancient cousins of rhinos living above the Arctic Circle 53 million years ago endured six months of darkness each year in a far milder climate than today that featured lush, swampy forests.

A global responsibility to help vulnerable communities adapt
For one international community - the 165,000 strong Inuit community dispersed across the Arctic coastline in small, remote coastal settlements in Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Siberia - it is already too late to prevent some of the negative effects of climate change.

Well water should be tested annually to reduce health risks to children
Private well water should be tested yearly, and in some cases more often, according to new guidance offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Any way you slice it, warming climate is affecting Cascades snowpack
There has been sharp disagreement in recent years about how much, or even whether, winter snowpack has declined in the Cascade Mountains of Washington and Oregon during the last half-century.

Certain ecologic factors associated with greater risk of bladder cancer
Persons drinking well water (as opposed to public supply) may be at an increased risk of bladder cancer, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Researchers will present data about the relationship between bladder cancer and certain ecologic factors including water source and UV radiation levels at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA).

Changing climate will lead to devastating loss of phosphorus from soil
Crop growth, drinking water and recreational water sports could all be adversely affected if predicted changes in rainfall patterns over the coming years prove true, according to research published this month in Biology and Fertility of Soils.
More Drinking Water Current Events and Drinking Water News Articles
Nestle Waters North America 101264

Nestle Waters North America 101264 "Nestle Pure Life" Purified Water 16.9 Oz (Pack of 24)
by NESTLE WATERS NORTH AMERICA

"NESTLE - PURE LIFE" BOTTLED WATER Purified miniral water. Enhanced with minerals for taste. Using reverse osmosis and enhanced with a balance of minerals for taste. 1/2 liter. 24 pack of half liter bottles

The Drinking Water Book: How to Eliminate Harmful Toxins from Your Water

The Drinking Water Book: How to Eliminate Harmful Toxins from Your Water
by Colin Ingram (Author)

THE DRINKING WATER BOOK takes a level-headed look at the serious issues surrounding America’s drinking water supply. Unlike water purifier manufacturers and public health officials, Ingram presents unbiased reporting on what’s in your water and how to drink safely. Featuring all the latest scientific research, the book evaluates the different kinds of filters and bottled waters and rates specific products on the market.

Culligan US-EZ-4 EZ-Change Level 4 Under-Sink Drinking Water System

Culligan US-EZ-4 EZ-Change Level 4 Under-Sink Drinking Water System
by Culligan

Culligan's EZ-Change Under-Sink Drinking Water System features a Level 4 Premium Filtration System for installation underneath sinks. The system reduces bad taste and odor, Chlorine taste and odor, sediment, lead, and cysts.

  Climate Change Drinking Water Adaptation Research Act. (Introduced in House)(110)

Climate Change Drinking Water Adaptation Research Act. (Introduced in House)(110)

Drinking Water (Pebble Plus; Healthy Eating With Mypyramid)

Drinking Water (Pebble Plus; Healthy Eating With Mypyramid)
by Schuh (Author), Mari (Author)

Text and photographs describe the importance of drinking water, why your body needs water, and ways to enjoy water.

Mainstay Emergency Drinking Water (60 Pack)

Mainstay Emergency Drinking Water (60 Pack)
by Mainstay Products, Inc.

Each case contains 60 (4.224 ounce) packs.

Fiji Natural Artesian Water Twelve 1/2 Liter Bottles

Fiji Natural Artesian Water Twelve 1/2 Liter Bottles
by Fiji

Fiji Natural Artesian Water Twelve 1/2 Liter Bottles. Untouched by man until you drink it. FIJI Water comes from an aquifer deep within the earth on the remote islands of Fiji. Bottled at the source, natural artesian pressure forces the water through a hermetically sealed delivery system free of human contact. It is never exposed to the environment. At least, until you inscrew the cap.

Camco 22743 TastePURE RV 10' Drinking Water Hose

Camco 22743 TastePURE RV 10' Drinking Water Hose
by TastePURE

Camco TastePURE RV 10' Drinking Water Hose provides maximum kink resistance. This hose is built using FDA approved materials and is useful when hooked with a Y-valve to the main faucet.

5 Gallon Bottle Drinking Water Pump

5 Gallon Bottle Drinking Water Pump
by Trademark Global

Features: Comes In A Retail Sale Display Box/PackagePump Water From 5 Gallon Water Bottle As Shown Handy Water Pump Work By Pressing Down The Top Of Pump Includes Tube To Dispense The WaterNote Water Bottle Is Not Included For Illustration Purpose Only

MSRP: $29.99

Nestle Bottled Water 16.9oz Per Bottle, 24 Bottle Case (Brand Varies By Region)

Nestle Bottled Water 16.9oz Per Bottle, 24 Bottle Case (Brand Varies By Region)
by Nestle

Bottled Spring Water

© 2009 BrightSurf.com