5. Conclusion

This article is primarily informative, focusing on the measurement of aqueous pollution, the regulatory framework governing urban and industrial effluent discharges, and the analytical methods available for understanding this pollution. This overview nevertheless implies the following remarks:

• Analytical tools enable us to measure a very large number of mineral, organic and possibly toxic compounds, even at trace levels. The fact remains, however, that all analytical methods – even those that are standardized or normalized – have their limits, and that in the analysis of industrial effluents, the precision and accuracy of measurements can be quite uncertain unless every precaution is taken to limit the numerous interferences. We cannot, of course, overemphasize the importance of certain factors, such as sample collection, storage and preparation...