Hydrochemical Types of Spring Waters in West Carpathian Catchments (Poland) under Different Pressure of Acidic Deposition

Abstract

Springs are natural outflows of groundwater to the surface and are often the only places to gain insights into underground processes, especially in protected areas. Contact with rocks changes the parameters of water, especially its chemical composition, which can be easily expressed via hydrochemical typing using the Szczukariew–Priklonski classification. Knowledge of the distribution and chemical compositions of springs is essential for a good hydrological and hydrogeological understanding of a given area. In previous decades, underground water remained mostly uncontaminated, and the ions used in the Szczukariew–Priklonski classification, namely, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl−, SO42− and HCO3−, provided accurate descriptions of this water. However, due to anthropogenic activity in the last decades, NO3− and NH4+ ions in shares greater than 20% have been frequently noted in underground and spring water. Research has been conducted in two forested regions: within the Skrzyczne range, which is under pressure from high air pollution coming from the Ostrava and Upper Silesia industrial districts, and in Gorce National Park, which is impacted by low-level air pollution. Water samples were collected three times per year in 2011 and 2012 at various water levels after a spring snow thaw, a period of heavy rain and a dry period. A search for the following ions was conducted: Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, NH4+, HCO3−, SO42−, Cl− and NO3−. Under the Szczukariew–Priklonski classification system, due to the continuous accumulation of nitrogen compounds from air pollution, the shares of nitrates and ammonium ions in underground water and spring water are likely to increase.