Is Dew Water Potable? Chemical and Biological Analyses of Dew Water in Ajaccio (Corsica Island, France)

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 1812 - 1817
• Main Authors: Muselli, M, Beysens, D, Soyeux, E, Clus, O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society 01.09.2006; Crop Science Society of America; American Society of Agronomy
• Subjects: Aerosols; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Aluminum - analysis; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Chemicals; Composition; Conservation of Natural Resources - methods; Contamination; Dew; drinking water; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; feces; France; Fresh Water - analysis; Fresh Water - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General Physics; heavy metals; Iron - analysis; Open systems; Physics; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polystyrene foams; risk assessment; water analysis; Water Microbiology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; water pollution; Water quality; Water Supply - analysis; water treatment; Wind; France; Europe; Africa; World; Corsica; Mediterranean Basin; Sahara; European Union; MED, France; Drinking water; Chemical analysis; Legislation; Inorganic ion; Aluminium; Island; Recommendation; Pollutant; Health status; French; Health and environment; Water analysis; European Union; Dew; Turbidity; Collector; Bacteria; Aerosol deposition; Large scale; Feces; Microorganism; Biological contamination; Public health; radiative condensers; Dew collection; water quality; dew chemical analysis
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2005.0357

To determine to what extent dew water is potable without further treatment, a thorough set of chemical and biological analyses were performed on 10 samples of dew water collected on a large scale radiative collector (29.83 m2) in Ajaccio (Corsica Island, France), between 21 May 2002 and 5 Mar. 2003. Samples were collected following four protocols according to the dew volume amount and 48 parameters (ions, minerals, and bacteria) were analyzed and compared to French and European Union legislation and also World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Aluminum and Fe were the main pollutants whose concentrations were significantly larger than recommended. Their presence is due to local deposition of aerosols coming from the Sahara (a characteristic of the Mediterranean basin). A large number of biologically cultivable microorganisms were found, together with bacteria typical of fecal contamination. For dew water to be potable with respect to present legislation at the Ajaccio site, it should be disinfected and treated for turbidity.