Water is the important aspect that connects us all – each as human beings and lovers of aquatic sports activities, and we wish to take lively half in defending it as a valuable life supply. Immediately we requested Andreas Fath, professor within the School of Medical and Life Sciences at Furtwangen College, water safety skilled, open water swimmer and area ambassador, for some recommendations on how we are able to maintain water and make a distinction in on a regular basis life.
What’s the present state of water well being in Europe?
“Generally we are able to say that our water in Europe, particularly in rivers, is now not in intensive care because it was within the 80‘s, however it‘s nonetheless a affected person. Droughts and water scarcity, in addition to excessive nitrate concentrations, antibiotic concentrations and growing PFAS concentrations in floor waters, are the challenges of our time. The shortage of water in rivers results in increased concentrations of pollution being launched into our waste water. We want a radical change from centralised wastewater therapy to decentralised therapy. In different phrases, not therapy on the finish of the pipe, however at the start of the pipe, involving all our establishments, industries, hospitals, nursing houses and even non-public households.”
What can we do to guard the water?
“Simply keep in mind that outdated Native American saying: “Water is probably the most valuable mortgage from nature“, so we have now to deal with it and admire it as such. Let me reply this query with the track “The three R’s“ by Jack Johnson: Scale back, Reuse, Recycle. This additionally applies to water consumption and its therapy and plastic utilization basically. The best way we cope with plastic these days has a direct affect on water high quality due to the transformation of macroplastic, primarily plastic litter, into microplastic, which results in waters, decreasing biodiversity and contaminating meals“.
10 High Suggestions for safeguarding water in on a regular basis life by Prof. Fath
- Don’t waste water.
- Don’t use ingesting water indiscriminately for all actions requiring using water. For instance, high quality ingesting water shouldn’t be needed for flushing the bathroom. We may use rainwater, bathe water or gray water as a substitute.
- Scale back the quantity of plastic packaging (this sort of waste will likely be exported to Asia, the place it is going to enter the ocean)
- Differentiate your plastic merchandise (so far as potential) earlier than throwing them away.
- Purchase merchandise comprised of just one kind of longer-life plastic that may be reused.
- Keep in mind that merchandise comprised of just one kind of plastic might be recycled extra simply.
- Scale back your plastic waste manufacturing by buying extra thoughtfully and fewer impulsively.
- Take your individual biobased baggage with you if you buy groceries (cotton tote baggage, wicker baskets and many others.)
- Be a part of river clean-up occasions (they’re enjoyable and social occasions!)
- Increase consciousness. For instance, for those who see someone throwing a cigarette filter on the street, inform them the filter will contaminate 40 litres of water. The filter releases round 7000 chemical compounds, and 50 of them are carcinogenic! This can have an effect on all of us, which makes it a criminal offense.
Photograph credit: Tim Kiefer
Extra about Prof. Andreas Fath
Andreas Fath has been a Professor at Furtwangen College since 2011. He teaches chemistry-related topics within the School of Medical & Life Sciences with a give attention to environmental engineering and water safety. From externally funded initiatives, he was capable of develop a REACH radar system for companies in partnership with Ökoinstitut Freiburg and implement a number of environmental safety initiatives (www.cleandanube.org). As co-founder of the gGmbH H2Org (www.h2org.de), he develops interactive environmental training modules with college students.