Impact of Environmental Factors on the Quality of Spring Water From Abrud-Câmpeni Area, Alba County, Romania

Water is one of the most important natural resource, a social requirement and an important factor in the ecological balance. Water from springs is good for direct consumption if the soil is not contaminated. The population, who is not benefiting from the centralized water, is supplied in different area from springs. Water from springs is good for direct consumption if the area around groundwater is not contaminated. Groundwater pollution, caused by human activities related to the agriculture, industry and population growth, is a current problem with serious consequences to human health. The aim of this paper was to assess the physico-chemical and microbiological qualities of springs water from Abrud-Câmpeni area, Alba County, Roamnia. The water samples were taken in 2018 from 11 functional springs. Of these, only three sources are potable, the rest of the springs are microbiologically contaminated. The average concentration of NO3 - in the investigated springs from Abrud-Câmpeni area is 6.1 mg/l. Monthly, between January and December 2018, the variation of the nitrate content in the water from the spring Lucia (Sohodol village) was also monitored. Fluctuations were observed with maximum in the cold season (February), 4.37 mg/l, and minimum in the summer (August), 2.14 mg/l. In order to identify the factors that lead to the variation of the NO3 - content in water, statistical mathematical models were developed. The parameters studied were: atmospheric temperature, the amount of precipitation, respectively the freeze/thaw cycle. The concordance indicators demonstrated a satisfactory correlation between the variation of those factors and the variation of the NO3 - content in water.