Trace Elements in Medicine (Moscow)
2017, 18(1): 52–56
ORIGINAL PAPER

QUALITY INDICATORS OF UNDERGROUND WATER IN ORENBURG REGION

E.V. Salnikova, O.V. Kwan, A.N. Sizentsov

Orenburg State University, Pobedy str. 13, Orenburg, 460015, Russia

DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2017-18-1-52-56 

ABSTRACT. To date, the problem of water quality is considered to be one of the major environmental issues. A study of groundwater quality was conducted the Orenburg region; hardness, pH, total salt content and the content of essential (copper, zinc) and toxic (lead, cadmium) trace elements were investigated. Water samples were collected in 35 administrative districts of the Orenburg region (n = 525). It was established that the groundwater from Central and Western parts of the Orenburg region is characterized by soft water with an average hardness value 4.14.4 mg-Eq/l. Elevated pH from 8 to 9.1 were found in the waters from Central part of the Orenburg region. The highest total salt content was detected in the Central part of the Orenburg region (780 mg/l) that is 1.17 times as high as in the Western part and 1.74 times as high as in the Eastern part. The minimum content of zinc was found in the groundwater from Western and Central parts of the region (1.99 mg/l and 1.44 mg/l respectively). The copper content in groundwater from areas located in the Eastern part of the Orenburg region was found to be 1.053 mg/l that was significantly higher than content of the element in water from the Western part (13.2 times as high) and from the Central part (17.6 times as high), p ≤ 0,001. In addition, a cadmium excess over MPC was detected in water from the Akbulaksky and Oktyabrsky districts as 2 times as much, Saraktash-sky and Orenburgsky districts as 4 times as much.

KEYWORDS: underground water, total salt content, total hardness, zinc, copper, cadmium, lead.