Occurrence of organic compounds in the thermal sulfurous waters of Calabria, Italy

Sulfurous waters are certainly a substantial asset of the Calabria Region of Italy. They can be regarded as worth developing because of their human health implications and, if thermal tourism is promoted, their importance to the local economy. Because the effects of thermal waters on human health are not yet completely known and understood, it would be of interest to identify organic compounds responsible for their biological activity. This manuscript reports results from analysis of thermal waters in Calabria. Molecular clusters of sulfur atoms were detected in the waters and polysulfide ions were identified after conversion to the corresponding dimethyl derivatives. The occurrence of C16 and C18 unsaturated fatty acids can probably be attributed to the algae present in the water.