Water Quality Management
Water quality is one of the main
challenges that societies will face during the 21st century, threatening human
health, limiting food production, reducing ecosystem functions, and hindering
economic growth. Water quality degradation translates directly into
environmental, social and economic problems. The availability of the world’s
scarce water resources is increasingly limited due to the worsening pollution
of freshwater resources caused by the disposal of large quantities of
insufficiently treated, or untreated, wastewater intorivers, lakes, aquifers
and coastal waters. Furthermore, newly
emerging pollutants like personal care products and pharmaceuticals,
pesticides, and industrial and household chemicals, and changing climate
patterns represent a new water quality challenge, with still unknown long-term
impacts on human health and ecosystems.