Water is the important aspect that connects us all – each as human beings and lovers of aquatic sports activities, and we need to take energetic half in defending it as a valuable life supply. At present 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 will care for water and make a distinction in on a regular basis life.
What’s the present state of water well being in Europe?
“Typically we will say that our water in Europe, particularly in rivers, is 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 rising PFAS concentrations in floor waters, are the challenges of our time. The shortage of water in rivers results in greater concentrations of pollution being launched into our waste water. We want a radical change from centralised wastewater remedy to decentralised remedy. In different phrases, not remedy on the finish of the pipe, however initially 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 previous 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 music “The three R’s“ by Jack Johnson: Cut back, Reuse, Recycle. This additionally applies to water consumption and its remedy and plastic utilization generally. The best way we cope with plastic these days has a direct impression on water high quality due to the transformation of macroplastic, primarily plastic litter, into microplastic, which leads to waters, lowering biodiversity and contaminating meals“.
10 Prime Ideas 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 the usage of water. For instance, high quality ingesting water will not be obligatory for flushing the bathroom. We might use rainwater, bathe water or gray water as an alternative.
- Cut back the quantity of plastic packaging (this type of waste shall be exported to Asia, the place it should enter the ocean)
- Differentiate your plastic merchandise (so far as attainable) earlier than throwing them away.
- Purchase merchandise comprised of just one kind of longer-life plastic that may be reused.
- Do not forget that merchandise comprised of just one kind of plastic will be recycled extra simply.
- Cut back your plastic waste manufacturing by buying extra thoughtfully and fewer impulsively.
- Take your individual biobased baggage with you while you buy groceries (cotton tote baggage, wicker baskets and so on.)
- Be part of river clean-up occasions (they’re enjoyable and social occasions!)
- Elevate consciousness. For instance, in the event you see any individual throwing a cigarette filter on the street, inform them the filter will contaminate 40 litres of water. The filter releases round 7000 chemical substances, and 50 of them are carcinogenic! This may 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 in a position to 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 schooling modules with college students.
