ASSESSMENT OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN WELL WATERS FROM NONFERROUS MINING AND URBAN AREAS IN NORTH-WEST AND CENTRAL ROMANIA

Abstract

The levels of inorganic contaminants in well waters used as drinking water sources from urban and nonferrous mining areas were studied. Well water samples from mining area are circumneutral and present high concentrations of metals (1.0-132 µg/l As, 20-73 µg/l Cr, 4.0-272 µg/l Mn), in some samples exceeding the maximum admissible concentrations set by Romanian Law 311/2004, regarding the drinking water quality, while well water samples collected from urban area are circumneutral to alkaline and show high nitrates (31-271  mg/l), nitrites (0.1-3.3  mg/l) and sulphates (51-245 mg/l), but low metal concentrations. The metal contamination reflects the influence of nonferrous mining activities, while household activities and agriculture imprint high values of NO₂^-, NO₃^- and SO₄^2-.