Surface watercourses as sources of karst water pollution

Surface watercourses as sources of karst water pollution

WoS Article

The water discharge and quality of three small watercourses entering the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic) was evaluated and compared. The impact of the wastewater and agricultural management system employed in their catchment areas was assessed. The differences among the watercourses were related to the land use, presence of municipalities, and wastewater treatment plants in their basins. The parameters which showed good quality for all streams were temperature, pH, and organic compounds. The main difference was in the content of nutrients, namely nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, and phosphorus. Agricultural run-offs caused an increase in nitrate nitrogen, while untreated sewage provoked a rise in ammonia nitrogen. All watercourses were rich in dissolved oxygen, and thus part of the ammonia nitrogen was probably nitrified, whereas the produced nitrates remained in the water column. Untreated sewage was identified as the main source of phosphorus. The land use in the vicinity of the watercourses affected not only the extent of pollution, but also the self-purifying ability of the streams, which was supported by environments like forests or meadows. However, in karst areas the self-purifying ability can be reduced due to the sinking of surface watercourses underground. The research showed the importance of adequately protecting the areas adjacent to the Protected Landscape Area, because small watercourses carrying pollution from their catchment areas beyond the geological border of the karst directly affect the karst water quality.

The water discharge and quality of three small watercourses entering the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic) was evaluated and compared. The impact of the wastewater and agricultural management system employed in their catchment areas was assessed. The differences among the watercourses were related to the land use, presence of municipalities, and wastewater treatment plants in their basins. The parameters which showed good quality for all streams were temperature, pH, and organic compounds. The main difference was in the content of nutrients, namely nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, and phosphorus. Agricultural run-offs caused an increase in nitrate nitrogen, while untreated sewage provoked a rise in ammonia nitrogen. All watercourses were rich in dissolved oxygen, and thus part of the ammonia nitrogen was probably nitrified, whereas the produced nitrates remained in the water column. Untreated sewage was identified as the main source of phosphorus. The land use in the vicinity of the watercourses affected not only the extent of pollution, but also the self-purifying ability of the streams, which was supported by environments like forests or meadows. However, in karst areas the self-purifying ability can be reduced due to the sinking of surface watercourses underground. The research showed the importance of adequately protecting the areas adjacent to the Protected Landscape Area, because small watercourses carrying pollution from their catchment areas beyond the geological border of the karst directly affect the karst water quality.

Agriculture; Land cover; Municipality; Nutrients; Self-purifying ability; Untreated sewage

Agriculture; Land cover; Municipality; Nutrients; Self-purifying ability; Untreated sewage

MALÁ, J.; HÜBELOVÁ, D.; SCHRIMPELOVÁ, K.; KOZUMPLÍKOVÁ, A.; LEJSKA, S.

2022

12.06.2021

Springer Science and Bussiness Media Deutschland GmbH

1735-1472

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

19

5

Islamic Republic of Iran

3503

3512

10

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-021-03440-w