Hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry and hydrogeophysics – Origin, protection and management of mineral and thermal waters

• Concept of “Mineral” and “Thermal” waters and its interpretation in different Countries.

• New approaches on conceptual hydrogeological models ascribed to mineral and thermal waters.

• Recent developments on the assessment, management and modelling of mineral and thermal waters.

• Emerging issues related with the protection of mineral and thermal waters: risk assessment.

• Technological challenges on the abstraction of mineral and thermal waters.

• Future challenges on the socio-economic aspects related with mineral and thermal waters: national vs. regional scale.

Bottled water: Key characteristics and market trends

• Challenges and opportunities of the European bottled water sector.

• Advances and technological challenges in experimental design for laboratory investigations on anthropogenic constituents of bottled waters.

• Safety of packaging for bottled water: myths and science.

• Developments on the suitability of bottled waters for baby food preparation.

• Emerging issues related with microbiological quality of bottled (mineral and thermal) waters.

• Role of bottled waters in developing countries.

• EU legislation vs. the ingestion of mineral and thermal waters: food or health additive support?

• Plastic bottles – what’s the impact in the Environment?

Mineral and thermal waters – Health issues, balneology, balneotherapy and balneothechnics

• Emerging issues related with daily intake of mineral and thermal waters and its effect on health.

• Recent developments on medical use of radon-rich mineral and thermal waters.

• Future challenges on medical use of sulphurous mineral and thermal waters for skin diseases.

• New trends on the medical use of carbonated mineral and thermal waters in respiratory diseases.

• Advances in the medical use of mineral and thermal waters in the gastroenterology field.

• Improvements in the treatment of neurological/psychiatric disorders using mineral and thermal waters.

• Recent approaches on the use of mineral and thermal waters in athlete’s rehabilitation.

• Mineral and thermal waters as an alternative for metabolic disorders treatment.

• New insights into the application of mineral and thermal waters for cosmetology.

• Legionella in thermal waters: New technologies for detection and eradication.

• Sulphite-reducing Clostridia analysis are really relevant in NMW?

• Alkaline Diet – does changing your body's pH levels through diet have any benefits?