Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the water quality of the Trstionica River, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The physicochemical properties (temperature, pH, conductivity, total solids after evaporation at 105 °C), content of metals (calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn)), and anions (chloride (Cl–), and phosphate (PO43–)) were determined in water samples collected at seven locations during two sampling periods: unstable weather conditions (precipitation), and stable weather conditions (without precipitation). There was a significant difference in the content of individual parameters in the river water depending on the sampling time. For determination of metals concentrations, which were below the limit of detection, a preconcentration method using an ion-exchange resin was applied. The metals concentrations during the rainy day were in the order Ca > Mg > Na > Fe > Cu > Zn > Pb > Mn with mean values of 343, 6.03, 1.94, 0.18, 0.20, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01 mg dm–3, respectively, and during stable weather conditions: Ca > Mg > Na > Cu > Fe > Mn > Zn with mean values of 288, 7.62, 2.38, 0.11, 0.10, 0.01, 0.01 mg dm–3, respectively. Cd, Cr, and Ni concentrations were below limit of detection in both cases. Obtained values were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) regulations. The results showed that the Trstionica River in the investigated part of the stream meets most of the parameters required by the regulations. The correlation between analysed parameters was assessed, as well. Based on the calculated water quality index values, the water of Trstionica River falls into the category of excellent water.
Highlights
Water is one of the most important substances for life on Earth, and its quality is of great importance to human health
Ca concentration was higher than maximum allowed concentrations (MAC) for drinking water in all river water samples; Fe content was slightly higher than MAC in two samples, while Pb content in three samples collected during the rainy day was above MAC
Metals in water samples during the rainy day were arranged as the following diminishing series by concentrations: Ca > Mg > Na > Fe > Cu > Zn > Pb > Mn > Cr ≈ Cd ≈ Ni, and during stable weather conditions: Ca > Mg > Na > Cu > Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cr ≈ Cd ≈ Ni
Summary
Water is one of the most important substances for life on Earth, and its quality is of great importance to human health It is an important source of trace elements for the proper functioning of the human organism.[1,2] There are many sources of water pollution, but the main sources are pollution from industrial and municipal wastewater discharges, inputs from agricultural activities that include the use of chemicals and fertilizers, seepage from waste sites, decaying plant life, etc., all leading to environmental degradation, and the necessity for environmental protection.[3,4,5] Different classes of contaminants like inorganic substances (toxic metals, salts, and acids), organic compounds (organic solvents, pesticides, fossil fuels, etc.), anions and cations (phosphate, sulphates, nitrates, calcium, magnesium, and fluorine ions), water-soluble radioactive substances, and pathogenic microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, and protozoan) are considered common pollutants of aquatic environments.[6] As heavy metals cannot be degraded, they are continuously being deposited and incorporated into water, aquatic organisms, and sediment. The persistence and accumulation of many heavy metals produce a significant ecological problem.[7,8,9]
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