group4projectwater

[group4projectwater]

[group4projectwater]

IMPORTANT

Welcome to our group 4 project website. In order to begin you shall go to the menu above↑, by clicking the top left button, which will show you the index of the pages in order, starting with the introduction and finishing with the videos. Do not start by looking directly at this page, since it lacks document classification and doesn’t follow a logical order. We hope you find our website interesting and help your understanding on the topic. Enjoy :)

[group4projectwater]

Mining

Mining is one the factors that support the view that the Amazon river’s water is not drinkable and is linked to water contamination. The Amazon is really rich in minerals, mostly gold and coltan (the blue gold) and for the extraction of these, poisonous chemicals, such as, mercury, are used. Mercury contaminates rivers and floors, soon contaminating the surrounding flora and fauna, which can poison and kill a person if this one consumes any of the previously mentioned.

Above, an image of Coltan. Mineral used in the production of technological machines.

Above,an image in Texas, USA, in the year 2012; of fish contaminated by mercury and pesticides.

In the In the year 2012, the colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, transformed 17 million of hectares in the Amazon, Choco and the Orinoco into strategic mining places, in the Cumbre Rio+20. Around 140 mining contracts were signed in an approximate area of 100.000 hectares in the Amazon. There were so many complaints about this mining project because it damaged the ecosystem and because 80% of the hectares are indigenous regards, that the project was temporally closed until the zoning and management of the forest reserve in the Amazon is completed. Although, it is important to highlight that there is many illegal mining in the Amazon and that in Vaupes, the department bordering the Amazon, illegal mining is so strong that forestal reserve of Taraira is no longer a reserve, causing that most of the chemical wastes of Vaupes end in the Amazon. Plus, due to the fact that the Amazon is shared by three countries (Colombia, Peru and Brazil), the fact that Colombia has stopped the mining project does not changes the contamination the bordering countries cause. In fact, according to Jennifer King citing the State Department of the USA (http://www.ehowenespanol.com/mineria-selva-tropical-amazonica-sobre_73748/) the exportation of minerals represented the 63% of Peru’s earnings in exportation in 2008.

[group4projectwater]

Water Purification

Water is essential for life. However, it is scarse for millions of people worldwide. Next we will find ways to make better use of water, and different alternatives in order to purify it, especially using the solar disinfection method called SODIS.

How to purify water?:

There are different ways to purify water, the most popular way to get pure water is boiling it. Boiling water for at least five minutes is sufficient to kill all disease-causing organisms. However, boiling water is not easy. It uses a lot of fuel that is often expensive or difficult to find. This process changes the taste of water and needs time to cool before it can be drank. There are other ways to purify water, the most used are:

Heat disinfection

When a heat treatment is applied, a solution is heated for 30 seconds at a temperature of 95 degrees Celsius. This temperature is sufficient to kill all pathogens. A disadvantage of the heat treatment is the consumption of gas.

Solar disinfection ( SODIS ):

One way to disinfect water drainage is to use UV radiation . The ultra violet radiation is a proven process for disinfection of water, air and solid surfaces contaminated microbiologically .This method is becoming very popular because it is cheap, simple, and requires little work. Research has shown that if used correctly, the treated water is as clean as the boiled water. 

The process is called solar disinfection. This method requires transparent plastic bottles of about 1.5 liters and that the water is not too hazy. It is important not to use glass bottles which do not allow enough sunlight on water. Plastic bottles have very thin sides that allow sunlight to reach the water. Cloudy water should be left to decant before use and should be filtered through a sand filter cloth or if it remains cloudy.

Slow sand filtration:

For many years, commercial farmers have used the technique called "slow sand filtration." This procedure is often used as a very effective way to remove the suspended solids in the water method. Filtration mechanism comprises a series of layers of sand with a range of grain sizes and specific gravity. Sand filters are available in different sizes and both manual and automatic operating materials.

Sedimentation:

Water and flocs flows into a sedimentation basin. As the water sits there, heavy flocs settle to the bottom, where they remain until disposal.

How to get more water?:

The methods for the use of water are not new or complicated or difficult to obtain; an example is a simple barrel to collect rainwater falling on the roof. Some rural areas that just have water supplies depend mostly water conservation and reusing systems. However, these systems are not allowed in many countries, specially those with warm weather because of the danger of spreading of infectious diseases.

Taking advantage of the humidity form the environment (in the form of morning dew). The freshness and night humidity cause water condensation on plants. Thanks to a system of plastic bags half buried above a hole, it is possible to get condensed drinking water.

According to several studies, the average consumption of water per person per day in developed countries, is more than twice than what is necessary, having showers and toilets household items that spend more. Just a little modifying our behavior can save water, to avoid having the open faucet more than necessary.

[group4projectwater]

Medical point of view:

Every individual contains around 100.000 million of microorganisms of 400 species (mostly bacteria). More than 95% live in the digestive track called the gut flora. The gut flora is a complex ecosystem full of microbes that are good for the health. When we are born we are completely clean, but within hours the digestive tube starts to be invaded by microorganisms that pass through your mouth along with food. When bacteria are in contact with the mucous layer of the gut they can nest and multiply. When the child turns 2, the gut flora is practically definite, it can have changes if the diet is altered or if they consume antibiotics, but this are reversible, which means each person has a stable, dominant gut flora.

The functions of the gut flora is the fermentation of non-digestive diet, such as vegetable fiber. Additionally inside the digestive tube fatty acids, vitamin D and K are produced, which help in the abortion of calcium, iron and magnesium and prevent the invasion of pathogen microbes that we ingest with foods this is called barrier effect.

The gut flora is unique and different for each person, and since this organisms and stable, it is very hard for a person to be immune to other organisms for which the body is not used to, therefore when people like us drink water from the river which contains foreign bacteria, it will probably mean we will be sick. However for a person who has been drinking water from the river his/her entire life, the bacteria of that water is already part of their gut flora, meaning it is not harmful for them.

[group4projectwater]

Conservation of the water in the Amazon river

[group4projectwater]

The Amazon only faces two seasons, winter and summer. Winter lasts from January to June, being March the month with heaviest rain. Summer lasts from June to December, being August the driest month. The picture above was taken the XX of March of 2014, that is why the river in this picture is really wide. In winter, there is so much water that the contaminants do not affect the river significantly, while in summer due to the lower levels of water, the contamination is greater.

[group4projectwater]

An introductory video of the region visited.

[group4projectwater]

The Amazon, near the edge. 

[group4projectwater]

Water purification in rural communities proposal

According to the World Health Organization, more than 700 million people worldwide lack access to permanent sources of potable water. Most of these people live in poor areas of countries in development and use water from rivers, streams and lakes without treatment and stored improperly. Non-potable water causes diseases causing death each year to 2.5 million people worldwide. 95 % of these deaths occur in poor communities. 90% of these deaths occur in vulnerable population, the children and the elderly. 99 % of these deaths are avoidable.

Technology has developed a method of purifying water that has achieved excellent results in urban, rural and indigenous communities in many countries.

Biosand Filter.

The biosand filter was developed at the University of Calgary in Canada in the 90's and has provided drinking water to thousands of families. This treatment has the following benefits:

It is economical. 

It has 98% effectiveness. 

Requires little maintenance. 

It is resistant and durable. 

Filters solid elements.

Eliminates pathogens and turbidity.

Limitations:

It doesn't filter some compounds dissolved in water, such as arsenic, fluoride and salts. 

Even though it is economic, many people can't afford to buy it. 

It requires three weeks of operation in order to be effective.

Design and accessories:

Operation:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

Conclusions:

Gastrointestinal diseases caused by unsafe drinking water can be avoided almost entirely. 

The quality of water consumed by households in isolated and remote rural communities can be improved.

Disinfection of water requires relatively little investment and no demand for the maintenance of the system. 

The biosand filter is as effective as filters available in the market and easier to make according to the circumstances.

The system explained above can be a potential solution for communities in the Amazon who struggle with the water contamination issue and the lack of aqueducts, being forced to drink water from the rain or directly from the river. This solution can be cost effective for most communities and can bring a lot of benefits with it. However, most of them ignore the fact that this type of systems can be implemented. The school in future trips to this region can present the proposal to the places they visit, and can hopefully make a difference to the long term health of the inhabitants.  

[group4projectwater]

Table of results: What do you use water for and where do you get it from?

[group4projectwater]

General planning

[group4projectwater]

Some information about water in the Amazon:

In the department of the Amazon the aqueducts are very rare, it is one of the few departments where less than 25% of municipalities have development plans that include the implementation of water supply or sewerage. Additionally, less than 25% of the municipalities have a treatment plant for drinking water nor do they have a system to treat wastewater, the service of solid waste collection covers less than 75% of the population and additionally do not address the cleaning with coverage indicators. More than 75% of municipalities have their waste using landfills, which work just like in the picture. However, you can also do basic sanitary landfills in areas where you cannot easily build large and complex landfills. 

[group4projectwater]

Introduction to the concept and problem:

We wanted to investigate the reason why we HAD to drink bottled water in the amazon but others, such as the indigenous, some of the natives and also (we found out in the trip) some guides didn’t have to. It was also an important part of the project to find out he the way in which indigenous drank water in past times, when aqueducts were not even invented and traditional methods had to be done for them to be able to clean and purify the water and drink it. We also decided to include aspects such as the importance of bottled water and if it was really more purified than rain water or tap water, and the different consequences that drinking bottled water has and the ones that drinking river or rain water causes.

[group4projectwater]

The story of bottled water (2010) Is a video that criticizes big companies that produce bottled water due to the gigantic contamination the plastic produces to the environment and to the fact that sometimes, tap water has even better quality than the bottled one.

[group4projectwater]

Introduction

Every day we hear scientists, politicians, and other members of the general population talking about environmental problems, the social and developmental changes associated with its exploitation and how living organisms depend entirely on Amazon for their survival. Now the time has come to answer the question: 

How do humans have an impact on the environment?

[group4projectwater]

General Purpose:

To complete an interdisciplinary project to answer the question: HOW DO HUMANS HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT?