The content of anions in the groundwater in the Semberija region original scientific paper

Abstract

Semberija, the region in north-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, is very rich in un­derground water with a number of artesian wells. The majority of the population in rural areas uses the water from these artesian wells as the main source of drinking water. In this area, people are mostly engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. So, there is a possibility of the large contamination of the water with heavy metals, nitrogen and a phosphorous component, pesticides and other contaminants. This paper presents the results of the determination of physico-chemical and chemi­cal parameters of the groundwater from ten sites that are spread along the Sava river and the Drina river in the north parth of Semberija. The results indicate higher concentrations of ammonia nitrogen at four sites (AB1, AB2, AB3 and AB5), which exceeds the maximum permissible concentration set by the World Health Organi­zation (World Health Organization, WHO), Directive of the European Union (EU) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. EPA). Also, the concentrations of ammonia nitrogen exceeding the maximum permissible concentration set by the Regulation of Republic of Srpska and Republic of Serbia in all localities. The concentrations of phosphate were also higher in the localities AB1, AB2, AB3 and AB5 and exceed the recommended values set by the Regulation of the Republic of Srpska and the Republic of Serbia, but below the recommended values set by WHO, EU directive and U.S. EPA.