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The paper reviews the state of water quality in Ialomita River Basin (IRB), Romania, between 2007 and 2018 using the land use/land cover and basin-specific conditions effects on sediments and nutrients load. On-site monitoring was performed in two control sections of the Ialomita River, one in the upper part of the basin (near Targoviste city) and the second near the discharge into the Danube (downstream of Tandarei town). The statistical averages of water parameters for 10 years' monitoring in the control section that is close to the Ialomita River discharge in Danube were pH = 7.60 (range: 6.41-8.40), NH 4 -N = 1.20 mg/L (0.02-14.87), alkalinity = 4.12 mmol/L (1.34-6.27), NO 3 -N = 2.60 mg/L (0.08-17.30), PO 4 -P = 0.09 mg/L (0-0,31), dissolved oxygen (DO) = 8.87 mg/L (2.72-15.96), BOD 5 = 5.50 mg/L (0.01-74.71), suspended solids (TSS) = 508.32 mg/L (15.2-4457), total dissolved salts (TDS) = 733.69 mg/L (455.2-1053), and river discharge = 38.60 m 3 /s (8. . Expected mean concentration and soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) modeling have been employed in the GIS environment to extend the approach to large spatial patterns within the basin. The estimated average specific emission on the total area for nitrogen was 3.2 kg N/ha, and 0.3 kg P/ha for phosphorus highly influenced by the agricultural activities. The results are useful to raise awareness regarding water-quality degradation and the need to stop and even reverse such trends for local and national sustainable development.Water 2020, 12, 735 2 of 19 water [2]. The discharge of toxic substances, the contamination of groundwater, and the atmospheric transport of nutrients over long distances leading to eutrophication of surface waters, are some of the important processes responsible for the degradation of water quality [3].Massive pollution with organic compounds leads to increased biological oxygen demand and hypoxia, which is often accompanied by severe pathogenic contamination [4]. Eutrophication resulting from the enrichment with nutrients originating from various sources and in particular from agriculture and agro-industrial environment strongly influences the biosphere [5,6]. The over-application of fertilizers damages the ecosystems on large spaces, including soil, water and underground aquifer layers [7]. The main problems associated with intensive agriculture are salinization, nitrification, pesticide contamination and excessive erosion that produce high concentrations of colloids in flowing waters [8].Significant emissions of atmospheric pollutants and long-range transport have affected large areas, while droplets formed in the atmosphere through the combination of water with the gases produced by burning fossil fuels cause acid rain that leads to the acidification of surface waters, especially of lakes [9].Society uses natural resources in a steadily increasing rate. Human influence on nature may cause adverse consequences leading to the disturbance of the natural balance [10,11]. At the same time, technologies and approaches are being developed...

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Groundwater, which is the main source of water for human consumption in many rural areas, has its quality determined by the complex interaction of environmental factors and anthropogenic activities. The present study evaluated the quality of shallow groundwater (1 to 25 m depth) in the rural area of the Târgovişte Plain, a densely populated area (200 inhabitants/km2) using 80 water samples collected from public wells. In order to explain the spatial distribution of the concentrations of the 19 physicochemical parameters considered (including heavy metals), the evaluation of groundwater quality for human consumption and potential impact on human health was conducted using the Water Quality Index (WQI), Integrated Weight Water Quality Index (IwWQI), Total Hazard Index (THI), and cumulative carcinogenic risk (CCR). For the WQI/IwWQI the comparative analysis of the two indices showed that for the WQI, it is important to select an optimal set of parameters, because use of a large number of physicochemical parameters can eclipse the values that exceed WHO guideline limits. In contrast, the use of entropy in the calculation of the IwWQI did not lead to eclipsing of exceedance, no matter the number of parameters used. Areas with poor and very poor groundwater quality according to the WQI/IwWQI overlapped, with a moderate risk to human health (THI > 1) for noncarcinogenic contaminants and also a risk of developing cancer according to the CCR average value (1.15 × 10−2). The health of 43% of the rural population in the Târgovişte Plain can be affected if they drink contaminated groundwater, and it is estimated that about 600 people can develop cancer during their lifetime. If the risk of developing cancer is reduced only in the rural population that does not have access to a water source from a centralized and verified network, the results suggest that 385 people (1.15%) can develop cancer as a result of consuming groundwater contaminated with heavy metals based on the average value of CCR. This value is lower than the general mortality rate in areas with high CCR and below the average number of cancer patients in Romania (2.65%). The quality of groundwater and the risk of developing diseases and cancer due to water consumption is directly proportional to the intensity of agricultural land use and inversely proportional to the depth of the groundwater layer, the distance from the main hydrographic network and the reservoirs, and the distance from the main city, Târgovişte. The complex and integrated analysis of groundwater quality using quality indices and indicators of health risk for the population, validated by hot-spot analysis and compared to the mortality rate, is an approach with practical applicability. This integrated approach allows public authorities, policymakers, and health services to implement an efficient monitoring program and optimize anthropogenic activities in order to prevent groundwater contamination and finally improve the quality of life for the residents in the area of this study.

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