Evaluating Groundwater Metal and Arsenic Content in Piatra, North-West of Romania

Abstract

The present study introduces a monitoring initiative focused on the quality of groundwater in the Piatra locality, situated in the North-West region of Romania. This paper employs an evaluation of 21 physico-chemical parameters, encompassing factors such as electrical conductivity, pH, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, total hardness, NH4+, NO3−, Cl−, PO43−, Li, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, Al, Fe, Mn, Sn, and Ti. Additionally, it examines five heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and arsenic in water sourced from six distinct private wells. Each well, with its characteristics, serves as a unique drinking water source. The assessment encompassed the evaluation of pollution levels, quality status, and risk factors for all drinking water sources, utilizing pollution, quality, and risk indices. The aim of this study was to establish the level of toxicity in water, assess its impact on human health, and disseminate information to the public about the appropriate utilization of individual water sources. The results indicated a general contamination with chloride, ammonium, manganese, chromium, and iron. Human health risk assessment indices revealed that the consumption of studied waters presented non-carcinogenic risks associated with Cr for adults and with Cr, As, Pb, and Cu for children for some of the groundwater sources. The water quality index (WQI) categorizes the samples as possessing excellent and good quality. This research represents one of the initial endeavors to assess the groundwater source quality in connection with the potential human health risks posed by the metals studied within the protected area of the Tisa River Basin.