Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Water Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Groundwater for Health and Well-Being

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water and One Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 May 2026 | Viewed by 3679

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Francisco Maraver Eyzaguirre

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Professional School of Medical Hydrology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: health resort medicine; mineral water; peloid; balneotherapy; hydrotherapy and aquatic therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Some groundwaters, known as mineral-medicinal waters, natural mineral waters, or thermal waters, have been used since time immemorial to improve health and well-being. These waters are used in establishments called Health Resort Medicine not only for therapeutic purposes—called Balneotherapy, which is included in the catalog of services provided by the National Health Systems of many countries—but also for leisure and wellness, and they support a sector of great economic and social importance, such as thermalism. Hence, there is great importance in preserving and optimizing these valuable natural resources.

Considering these factors, it is necessary to know and guarantee water quality by applying advanced technologies that allow us to protect it from the anthropic ecosystem and the potential impacts of climate change through water monitoring and control, real-time data digitization, the prediction of potential contaminants that could modify the fundamental parameters of thermal waters (artificial intelligence), the characteristics of their hydrobiomes, and the improvement in the energy efficiency of thermal facilities.

This Special Issue aims to compile research articles and reviews dedicated to hydrogeology, physics, chemistry, medicine, pharmacy, biology, computer science, etc., as well as public authorities and economic stakeholders related to this sector.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Maraver Eyzaguirre
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

mineral-medicinal waters
natural mineral waters
thermal waters
balneotherapy
water quality
contaminants
anthropic ecosystem
climate change
energy efficiency
artificial intelligence

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 2228 KB

Open AccessArticle

Groundwater of Parque Rural del Nublo—UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site “El Molinillo” Spring—Gran Canaria—Canary Islands—Spain

by Eduardo Navarro

Water 2025, 17(23), 3373; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17233373 - 26 Nov 2025

Viewed by 522

Abstract

This study discusses the unique features of the rural park Parque Rural del Nublo (Gran Canaria) that resulted in the designation of this site as UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve. Due to its indigenous flora and fauna, its mild climate and its farming lands, this park is considered as an outdoor “sustainable research laboratory”. This paper describes the main features (source, denomination, classification, municipality, year of declaration and hydro-chemical facies) of some of the many groundwater springs found in the park. The quality of the drinking water obtained from the spring “El Molinillo”, located in the basin of the municipality of Tejeda, is analysed by assessing its organoleptic, physico-chemical, chemical and bacteriological properties. Considering that it is described as “natural mineral water”, based on the taxonomy for mineral–medicinal waters, the water from “El Molinillo” is classified as hypothermal, alkaline and very soft water, with a low conductivity, a very weak mineralisation and a significant silica content. The water especially contains the following ions: bicarbonate, chloride, magnesium and calcium. The paper describes several pharmacological effects and therapeutic indications attributed to this water, analysing the impact of its silica content on human and plant health. The paper concludes that the park should be permanently protected as a World Heritage Site, and the water obtained from “El Molinillo” is classified as “drinking water”, “natural mineral water” and “mineral–medicinal water”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Groundwater for Health and Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2968 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mineral-Rich Brines from Portuguese Coastal Lagoons: Insights into Their Use in Thalassotherapy and Skin Care

by Lara Almeida, Fernando Rocha and Carla Candeias

Water 2025, 17(20), 3021; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17203021 - 21 Oct 2025

Viewed by 545

Abstract

This study characterized saline waters from traditional and semi-industrial saltpans located in the Ria Formosa and Ria de Aveiro Portuguese coastal lagoons, aiming to evaluate their potential for thalassotherapy and dermatological applications. Five saline water samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved and suspended solids) and chemical composition (major, minor, and trace elements), complemented by SEM-EDS analyses of the suspended solids. All samples exhibited salinities above 70 g/kg, classifying them as mineral-rich brines. Sodium was the dominant element, followed by Mg, K, and Ca, with concentrations significantly higher than those of seawater. Apparent geochemical differences were observed between the two lagoons, with Ria de Aveiro water enriched in Ca, while Ria Formosa showed higher Mg and K contents. Suspended solids were composed mainly of halite, gypsum, K-Mg salts, and biogenic aggregates, reflecting the interaction between evaporitic and microbial processes. These findings highlighted the high therapeutic potential of Portuguese saline waters for skin-related applications, supporting the safe use of natural saline resources in evidence-based wellness and dermatological practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Groundwater for Health and Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 3137 KB

Open AccessArticle

Materials in Water Supply Systems: Migration of Organic Compounds from Rubber Materials

by Cristina M. M. Almeida, Ana Penetra, Rui Neves Carneiro and Vitor Vale Cardoso

Water 2025, 17(19), 2864; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17192864 - 1 Oct 2025

Viewed by 743

Abstract

It is just as important to produce high-quality drinking water as it is to distribute it throughout the water supply system without compromising chemical or microbiological quality. Therefore, it is essential to study the migration of substances in contact with water to assess potential chemical contamination under the conditions usually found in distribution systems, which is critical for potential toxicity studies. This initial characterization of the material allows for the assessment of its suitability for contact with drinking water. The rubber material used in the water supply system was selected and subjected to migration tests for 29 days using demineralized water. The potential organic contaminants from migration waters were extracted using liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and quantified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). More than 50 organic compounds were quantified in migration waters. Most of the organic compounds were considered unexpected substances. Benzothiazole, 2-benzothiazole, and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole were dominant compounds. The unknowns showed a lower estimated concentration at the consumer tap (C_Tap) than the maximum tolerable concentration at the tap (MTC_Tap), and their sum was less than 5.0 µg/L. The studied rubber material is suitable for use in the water distribution system, as it satisfies the criteria of the migration tests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Groundwater for Health and Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 2241 KB

Open AccessArticle

Microvascular Responses in the Dermis and Muscles After Balneotherapy: Results from a Prospective Pilot Histological Study

by Traian-Virgiliu Surdu, Monica Surdu, Olga Surdu, Irina Franciuc, Elena-Roxana Tucmeanu, Alin-Iulian Tucmeanu, Lucian Serbanescu and Vlad Iustin Tica

Water 2025, 17(12), 1830; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17121830 - 19 Jun 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1289

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting a prospective study to evaluate histological changes in skin and muscle tissues after two weeks of balneotherapeutic intervention, as described in Romanian medical regulations. Methods: Thirty-five patients participated in this study, thirty of whom received balneotherapy (a cold mud ointment or a mud pack, or a mud bath, and/or a salted water bath) and five received hydrotherapy (the witness plot). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Twenty-four hours after discharge, a tegument and muscle biopsy were performed, and fragments were histologically prepared. Results: In the blade evidence analysis, the increased caliber and number of open capillaries and the presence of angiogenesis vessels were statistically significant (p = 0.001 < α = 0.05) for the cold mud ointment and mud pack compared with the witness and mud bath plots. The number of angiogenesis blood vessels was higher in the dermis (p < 0.05 *) with the mud pack plot and in the muscle with the mud cold ointment (p < 0.05). The histological study showed that two weeks of therapeutic intervention produced evidence-based proof in the dermis and muscle tissues, which was persistent at least twenty-four hours after the completion of the balneal course. The results encourage the team to continue the histological approach using modern techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Groundwater for Health and Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Groundwater for Health and Well-Being

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI