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An establishment of a chair in food security and water quality at the CSIR
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The CSIR’s business unit – Natural Resources and the Environment – identified a need to establish a chair in food security and water quality after the recent outcome of preliminary results from a confidential study conducted by the CSIR on behalf of the Loskop irrigation Board on food security and water quality. It has been recognised that water bodies have a limited capacity to absorb waste and that this ability represents a finite national resource which should be managed in a sustainable manner. v
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Deteriorating water quality influences human health, the aquatic ecosystem and has economic implications for various sectors of the economy with including agriculture and industry. Water quality problems can lead to increased treatment costs of water used for consumption and industrial processes, and decreased agricultural fruit and crop yields and quality. If the carrying capacity of the natural system is exceeded, problems associated with water quality, can become exacerbated to the extent of disaster. The occurrence, transport and fate in the aquatic environment of numerous persistent and toxic metals and organic compounds have provided cause for concern. Contamination of groundwater by toxic and persistent compounds can cause irreversible pollution, influencing water users long after the original release to the environment has ceased.
Research associated with the chair seeks to understand the consequences of acid mine drainage, eutrophication and salinisation on the water quality in the agriculture sector. The proposed research will be conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, whose skills and experience span a broad spectrum of disciplines and will include scientists and students from the CSIR and different Universities. We intend to publish the information derived from this research and also to make it available to the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs for water resource planning to ensure equitable, efficient and sustainable deployment of water resources to support socio-economic development.
Since scientific information based on water quality in the field of food security is fragmented or not accessible due to confidentiality of reports, the research associated with the chair intent to give a holistic picture of the impact of water quality on food security in South Africa and possible mitigation measurements. Assessment parameters that will be employed in the research to address the status of water quality and food security in the above selective areas will include the following thematic focus areas:
Salinisation
Salinisation is a persistent water quality problem in South Africa. Salinity refers to the amount of specific dissolved inorganic compounds in the water. The measurement of the total dissolved solids (TDS) in water is thus used as an indicator of salinity. Salinisation refers to the natural or anthropogenic processes that increase the salinity within a water system. Anthropogenically induced causes of sanilisation include: discharge of municipal and industrial effluent; irrigation return flows; urban storm-water runoff; surface mobilisation of pollutants from mining and industrial operations and seepage from waste disposal sites, mining and industrial operations. Immediate increases in salt concentrations result from point sources of pollution, such as waste water discharge by industries. Diffuse pollution, resulting from inter alia., poorly managed urban settlements, waste disposal on land and mine residue deposits can pose a larger problem than point source pollution, as the impact is spread over a wide area, are only detected after in the water system after prolonged exposure and are difficult to monitor and control. The effect of diffuse pollution on groundwater is also often problematic in terms of remediation. Problems associated with salinisation include; the reduction in crop and fruit yields and quality; increased scale formation and corrosion in domestic and industrial water conveyance systems, increased requirement for pre-treatment of selected industrial water uses, and changes in biota.
Eutrophication
Eutrophication is a major water quality problem in South Africa. Eutrophication refers to the process whereby excessive algal and macrophyte growth is encouraged as a result of the enrichment of water with the plant nutrients, particularly nitrate and phosphate forms (NO2, NO3, NH4, PO4, orthophosphates). The accumulation of nutrient compounds in excess of natural requirements results in nutrient enrichment eutrophication and may impact on the composition and functioning of the natural aquatic biota. The direct impact is the excessive growth of toxic blue-green algal, leading to problems in water purification, with the presence of toxic metabolites; taste- and odour-causing compounds, as well as the possible reduction in crop yields and quality. As nutrients are present in sewage effluent, the problem is accentuated wherever there is a concentration of humans or animals.
Microbiological quality
Microbiological quality is the presence of disease causing micro-organisms and parasites. Human settlements and overloaded sewage systems are the major source of deteriorating microbiological water quality. Micro-organisms and parasites may enter the water system in partially-treated sewage effluents, seepage and run-off from inadequate sanitation and waste disposal. Water contamination by faecal matter is the medium for the spread of diseases such as dysentery, cholera and typhoid. These micro-organisms and parasites can end up on fruit and crops through contaminated irrigation water.
Acidification
The pH of natural waters is predominantly a result of geological and atmospheric influences. Freshwater resources in South Africa are relatively-well buffered. However, human-induced acidification, from industrial effluents, mine drainage and acid precipitation can cause a lowering of the pH, leading to mobilisation of elements such as iron, aluminium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, mercury, manganese, nickel, lead and zinc. This may accumulate in fruits and crops.
The proposed Vision of the chair in food security and water quality is to:
• Cooperates through fundamental and goal directed research, with the agriculture sector and government in the solution of water quality related problems in South Africa, technology transfer and human resources development
The proposed Mission of the chair in food security and water quality is:
• The safety and quality of food
• Undertaking water quality research that responds to the needs of the agriculture sector in South Africa and enhancing the quality of life of South Africans.
• Creating high level human resource capacity by involving students in all its research projects
For more information on meetings held by TAU please contact:
Mrs Renette Henning
0128048031 (W)
0128042014 (F)
assekon@tlu.co.za
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