DRINKING WATER QUALITY IN WELLS FROM AN AREA AFFECTED BY FLOOD EVENTS: CASE STUDY OF CURVATURE SUB-CARPATHIANS, ROMANIA

Abstract

The present study evaluates the chemical parameters (inorganic anions and metals) of drinking water of twenty-four wells and the presence of Escherichia coli in ten selected wells located in two villages from Buzau and Prahova Counties, in Curvature Sub-Carpathians, Romania, a rural area frequently affected by flood events. Water samples were collected in July 2014. Concerntrations of fluorides, nitrites, chlorides and phosphates were below the maximum allowable concentrations (MACs) for drinking water established by European legislation (Drinking Water Directive 98/83/CE) in all the analysed samples. Concentration of nitrates exceeded MAC (50 mg L-1) in five samples, while concentration of sulphates exceeded MAC (250 mg L-1) in two samples. Among the analysed metals, Mn exceeded MAC (50 μg L-1) in two samples, while Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Na, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and As concentrations did not exceeded the corresponding MACs. E. coli (over 2000 UFC 100 mL-1) was found in six water samples. The results show that majority of the studied parameters were below the threshold limits, however in some of the studied wells the water was found to be contaminated both by some chemical pollutants and by E. coli, which prepresent a risk for local population health.

Keywords

• drinking water quality
• well water
• inorganic contaminants
• Curvature Sub-Carpathians
• Escherichia coli
• flood events