UN World Water Day 2008: Clean water, a worldwide challenge

It is estimated that one billion people lack access to clean drinking water. Clean drinking water is, however, the main requirement for a healthy life. Hygienic and reliable water purification and water supply is a vital condition for health and the prevention of epidemics.

Since 1993, World Water Day has been guiding public awareness on current critical topics relating to water quality. As of 2003, the United Nations (UN) has taken this topic under its wing and has been the official organizer of World Water Day as well as all accompanying activities.

The UN invites its member states to use this event for the introduction of UN recommendations and to promote concrete actions in their own countries. Non-member countries that strive for clean water and water pollution control can also take part. Since 1997 thousands of participants follow the call of the World Water Council every three years to participate in a World Water Forum during the week of World Water Day. In 2008, the focus will be on sanitation and will address questions pertaining to water quality, wastewater treatment and sewage disposal.

Clean drinking water is a global challenge. Shimadzu, one of the world-leaders in analytical instrumentation, has been involved in environmental analysis for decades with its TOC/TN_b analyzers and online systems for water and wastewater treatment.

Water is, however, polluted not only with organic but also inorganic constituents, in particular heavy metals. Spectroscopic methods can be employed here for sample analysis and element identification.

UV-VIS spectrometers as well as AAS and ICP systems can be utilized in water analysis application. UV-VIS instruments target routine procedures and are often used in quality control or environmental analysis. The ICPE-9000 is capable of tracking 33 elements in water und wastewater – during one test procedure.

Chromatography, in particular GC-MS, provides a fast and safe method for identification of organic contamination and information on mass spectra. Library research with the LRI linear rentention index precisely identifies trace elements in samples.

In Germany, Shimadzu organizes seminars on water analysis. From April to June, many events take place all over the country targeting experts from water and wastewater analysis.