Spring water chemistry in a formerly glaciated area of western Poland: the contribution of natural and anthropogenic factors

Abstract

To assess natural and anthropogenic impacts on spring water chemistry, seasonal and spatial hydrochemical changes in 20 springs were studied in the western part of Poland. Spring water was sampled every 3 months from November 2011 to October 2013. The analyses investigated major cation, anion, and trace element concentrations. Moreover, water temperature, electrical conductivity, and pH were measured in the field. For five springs, isotopic analyses of nitrates were conducted. The results revealed that the water composition was similar for most of the elements studied. However, in the case of Fe, Mn 2? , Pb 2? , and nitrates, spatial and seasonal variations were relatively significant. The concentrations of total iron and manganese were found to exceed the Polish legal limits for drinking water in 70 and 85 % of the springs, respectively. In addition, Pb 2? levels were found to be highly variable; in some periods, the concentration was 10 times higher than the limit for drinking water. In some springs, elevated nitrate concentrations were found with a maximum of 74-mg NO 3 -/L, which is also in excess of the legal limit. The seasonally high levels of total Fe and Mn 2? are considered to be related to natural geo-and hydrochemical changes, but the high concentrations of Pb 2? and nitrates suggest anthropogenic pollution. The nitrates originate from agricultural practices, whereas Pb 2? may come from several sources. Hydrochemical monitoring must, therefore, consider seasonal variations, because the water properties may not permit its use during some periods, i.e., for drinking purposes.

Holocene paleohydrological reconstruction of Lake Strzeszyńskie (western Poland) and its implications for the central European climatic transition zone

“…The decoupling of Fe and the siliciclastic elements in Units I and II could indicate the supply of Fe 2? by iron-rich groundwater discharge from aquifers in Quaternary deposits (Szczucińska 2016). The dissolved Fe supplied to the lake from the catchment is often involved in the precipitation of iron (hydr)oxides when the water column overturns (Schettler et al 1999;Boyle 2001;Bonk et al 2015).…”

Zasilanie, wydajność i cechy hydrochemiczne wód źródeł Czarnej Wody

“…Jednym z nich jest kierunek hydrogeologiczny zajmujący się oddziaływaniem obiegu wód podziemnych na występowanie i dynamikę zasilania wypływów wód podziemnych (m.in. : Nowakowski, 1977;Tomaszewski, 1977;Małecka, 1997;Staśko, Tarka, 2002;Szczucińska, 2014Szczucińska, , 2016. Drugi kierunek to podejście hydrologiczne podejmujące problematykę reżimu hydrologicznego i hydrochemicznego wypływów wód podziemnych (m.in.…”

Sources of variability in springwater chemistry in Fool Creek, a high‐elevation catchment of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA

“…The vegetation and water quality of groundwater‐dependent ecosystems are vulnerable to changes in climate, atmospheric deposition and human disturbance (Earman & Dettinger, 2011; Junk et al, 2013; Stevens, Jenness, & Ledbetter, 2020; Stevens, Schenk, & Springer, 2020). Awareness that increasing deposition of N, metals, microplastics and other trace elements may be impairing aquatic resources not only in agricultural areas (Golden et al, 2017; Szczucińska, 2016), but also in high‐elevation forest catchments (Brahney et al, 2020; Fenn et al, 2003) highlights the importance of biogeochemical links between emergent groundwater and surface water (Covino, 2017).…”