Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cerna River Basin, Hunedoara County

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the presence of the heavy metals like Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, As and Zn, in the surface water samples, collected from Cerna River and it’s main tributary, from Hunedoara county. The main sources of heavy metals is the Hidrografic Reservoir are represented by the industrial activities (especially steel industry) improperly storage of waste, diffuse polution and atmospheric depositions. The heavy metal content was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry with atomization in graphite furnace. Before de analysis, the water samples were treated with nitric acid for heavy metal’s mineralization. Ten water samples were collected from Cerna River and it’s main tributary as it follows: Cerna River flowing in Mureș River, Cerna River in Sântuhalm, Cristur River, Pestis River, Petac River, Zlaști River, Teliucul Inferior River, Govâjdia River, Toplița River and Vălarița River. Depending on the sampling point, the measurable results are as the following: Cerna River flowing in the Mureş River (Cu - 10.1 μg/L, Cd - 0.09 μg/L, Cr - 1.44 μg/L, Pb - 4.67 μg/L. Ni - 1.38 μg/L, As - 2.43 μg/L); Cerna River in Sântuhalm (Cu - 24,9 μg/L, Cr - 16,2 μg/L. Zn - 0.04 μg/L și As - 1.05 μg/L); Cristur River (Cu - 0.74 μg/L, Cd - 0.03 μg /L, Pb - 0.65 μg /L, Ni - 0.51 μg /L); Peștiș River (Cu - 2,78 μg /L, Cr - 0.68 μg /L, Pb - 0.54 μg /L, Ni - 8.03 μg /L); Petac River (Cu - 1.61 μg /L, Pb - 0.12 μg /L, Ni - 0.65 μg /L, As - 1.73 μg /L); Zlaști River (Cu - 3.0 μg /L, Cd - 0.06 μg /L, Cr - 0.64 μg /L, Pb - 0.37 μg /L, Ni - 0,85 μg /L, As - 1.31 μg /L); Teliucul Inferior River (Cu - 3.68 μg/L, Cd - 0.25 μg /L, Pb - 5.3 μg /L, As - 1.82 μg /L); Govâjdia River (Cu - 3.26 μg /L, Cr - 0.55 μg/L, Pb - 0.66 μg/L, Ni - 0.92 μg /L); Toplița River (Cu - 2.07 μg/L, Pb - 0.12 μg/L, Ni - 0.63 μg/L, As - 1.25 μg/L; Vălarița River (Cu - 1.06 μg/L, Cd - 2.44 μg/L, Cr - 1.97 μg/L, Pb - 0.76 μg /L, As - 2.68 μg/L, Ni - 5.05 μg/L, Zn - 2.44μg/L). The results show that in the analyzed water samples there are exceedances for heavy metals as follows: Cu, one exceedance; Cd, three exceedance; Pb, two exceedance; and Ni, two exceedance.

Keywords

• surface water
• heavy metals
• cerna river.