Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects
of the effects of Si released from decaying silicate minerals, and Si removed by
neoformed mineral phases and outflowing groundwater.
Reactions which affect water chemistry in Post Roque Nublo, Roque Nublo, and
phonolites aquifer-rocks were defined and quantified. In all aquifer-rock types,
important effects of marine aerosols and lithogenic CO2 influx were confirmed.
Reactions with particular mineral phases strictly depend on bedrock mineralogy.
Conclusions
Understanding processes which form chemistry of groundwater is important
from the applied view-point, because it helps us to protect quantity and quality of
water resources, like valuable medicinal waters.
In some countries, silicon is regarded as a beneficial component which provides
balneotherapeutic benefits. Silicic acid is the only form of silicon which is biologically
available. Many studies have showed beneficial and essential aspects of silicon
in humans, because it limits bioavailablity of toxic aluminium, and detoxify
organisms. Silicic acid at concentration greater than 0.5 mM in drinking waters has
been suggested that show some protection against Alzheimer’s disease. Bioavailable
silicon is depleted from the most of products in our diet; also waters we drink
usually have very low Si concentration of about 0.1 mM. Naturally Si-rich (fresh
and medicinal) groundwater are locally used, but therapeutic potential of such
waters is still underrated. Studied groundwater of Gran Canaria, which have silicic
acid concentration much higher than 0.5 mM level, seem to be ideal for testing the
health benefits of such waters to humans.
Keywords: Geochemical Modelling, Silicon-Rich Water, Groundwater Geochemistry,
Volcanic Aquifer, Gran Canaria
452
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 451-452