Title : The influence of concrete on water quality
Abstract:
The water problem is a problem of quantity and quality, Water quality represents a major issue, determined by the interaction of multiple physicochemical and environmental parameters.
Thus, water can contain a multitude of chemical components of natural or anthropogenic origin. Therefore, water intended for human consumption is potable when it is free of chemical elements (toxic substances, excess mineral and organic matter) and biological elements (pathogenic germs) likely to cause waterborne diseases, in the short or long term.
Among the influential parameters, we are interested in the interaction with the most abundant material in the world, which is concrete “Concrete is a composite construction material made by mixing cement, water, aggregates (sand and gravel)”. From the source to reaching the consumer, water undergoes several mainly chemical changes.
Concrete is widely used in the construction of infrastructure hydraulics such as dams, bridges, pipelines, water tanks, and water treatment structures. However, it can influence water quality due to its chemical interactions with it. One of the main problems related to concrete is the leaching of chemical compounds present in its composition. Some physicochemical parameters, such as pH, water conductivity, turbidity, chloride, aluminium, nitrates and nitrites , can affect various uses such as drinking water supply or industrial use.
This work is carried out using laboratory-scale pilots, which are tanks filled with 10 liters of source water in the presence of concrete blocks prepared in situ and additions of samples to each tank; the effectiveness of this process is assessed based on measurements relating to the physico-chemical parameters of these waters before and after.
