1. Pollution and water quality

The quality of water, and of aquatic environments in general, is and has been a constant preoccupation in all times and places. Even if the vast majority of Europeans are satisfied with the water they receive, fears linked to increasing industrial and agricultural activity, and even the threat of bacteriological attack, are on the rise. Behind this concern lies the apprehension of risks linked to food safety.

As it flows through the soil or rivers, water becomes loaded with various substances of natural and/or anthropogenic origin. Pollution is defined as the degradation of a natural environment caused by the introduction of these compounds (pollutants). This notion of degradation is very important, since if there are no negative consequences for the environment, we cannot speak of pollution. In concrete terms, the polluting nature of a given substance will vary...