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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND WATER QUALITY OF THE CIESZYN TUFA SPRINGS (SOUTHERN POLAND). GEOCHEMICAL CONDITIONS AND ANTHROPOGENIC HAZARDS

Jacek Różkowski

Abstract

In 2017, on the order of the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice, the study entitled "Identification of pollution sources affecting the chemical composition of water in the area of Natura 2000 The Cieszyn Tufa Springs PLH240001" was prepared. The unique karst area "The Cieszyn Tufa Springs" is located in the Western Carpathians, in the watershed of the Vistula and the Oder. The studied subslope, descending springs, with the discharge of 0.001-2.5 dm3/s (2017), drain the first aquifer, associated with the Cieszyn limestones, sandstones, marbled shales of the Carpathian flysch (Cretaceous, Jurassic). Waters from the springs were generally qualified as freshwaters (TDS up to 639 mg/dm3), HCO3-Ca and HCO3-SO4-Ca, slightly alkaline (pH 7.08-8.21), medium hard and hard (TH 220-498 mgCaCO3/dm3), with the O2 content in water 2.04-8.68 mg/dm3, Eh 78-288 mV. Anthropogenic transformations were manifested by higher TDS values (up to 908 mg/dm3), TH (up to 744 mg CaCO3/dm3), Cl (up to 150 mg/dm3), and the decrease of O2 content in water. The concentrations of the majority of constituents in water corresponded to a good, incidentally poor chemical status, e.g. NO2 concentration up to 2.6 mg/dm3, PO4 up to 4.9 mg/dm3. Disturbing are high concentrations of petroleum compounds in water, among others benzo(a)pyrene (up to 0.045 ?g/dm3) and PAHs (up to 1.6 ?g/dm3), corresponding to a poor chemical status. The results of hydrogeochemical modeling showed the increase in the saturation index (SIC) value for calcite from -0.12 (in springs) to 1.22 (in watercourses, the area of intense calcareous tufa precipitation) and a simultaneous reduction of pCO2 (partial pressures of carbon dioxide) from 5488 Pa to 142 Pa. The influence of potential pollution sources (mainly related to agriculture, urbanization and road traffic) on the chemical composition of springs water is favoured by vulnerability of groundwater to pollution. A very high and high degree of vulnerability are dominant, approximate travel time of pollutants to groundwater: <5 years and 5-25 years, respectively.

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