ASPECTS CONCERNING NITRATE AND NITRITE POLLUTION OF GROUND

WATER
A. Ungureanu, A. Ungurasu
ABSTRACT Aspects concerning nitrate and nitrite pollution of ground water.
Water is a basic natural resource for the good functioning of all the biological processes
in nature. It is very iportant for life and for the developent of huan activities. The
!uality of the ground water has begun to degrade ore and ore" as a result of the
physical" cheical and bacteriological changes. #itrogen copounds pollution of the
underground has increased lately. This has been caused by the e$cessive and irrational
use of nitrogen derived fertili%ers" by the wrong storage of the de&ections resulted fro
%ootechnical processes" and by other cheical substances discharged into water. Saples
were collected fro different wells in order to chec' whether the well water was
drin'able. The result of the test revealed the e$istence of high concentrations of nitrates
as well as values e$ceeding noral icrobiological paraeters. The values recorded in
the town of Segarcea" the county of (ol&" showed e$treely high concentrations of
nitrates of the drin'ing water in the wells. Thus" Segarcea is the town with the greatest
nuber of containated wells in the country.
INTRODUCTION
(rin'ing water is an essential coponent of the environent" and it has a a&or ipact
on the !uality of life and on the population)s health.
Water pollution consists in the alteration of the natural properties of water" as a result of
e$ternal substances interferences" so that it can no longer serve the purposes it used to.
This alteration process can be the conse!uence of natural phenoena" but it is generally
caused by the industrial" agricultural and urban activities.
*ore than + illion tons of pollutants are discharged both into water and on the soil
yearly. Aong these" the ost coon are, chlorides" nitrates" aonia" phenol"
detergents and pesticides. Irrational and e$cessive use of cheical fertili%ers on the soil
leads to its health deterioration. A negative conse!uence of the process of abusive
cheicali%ation is that ineral substances such as nitrates accuulate both in the soil and
in the ground waters" reaching harful concentrations.
The ost fre!uent causes of the nitrate containation of the underground environent
are nuerous. Soe of the a&or polluting causes are, the nitrous-o$ide-ipregnated soil
is continuously washed by rainfalls" by the irrigation water" as well as by the surface
water .rivers" la'es/ where nitrate containing water has been discharged. Apart fro these
!uasi peranent sources" there are also the rando sources" consisting in the use of the
fertili%ers that are derived fro nitrogen .01/.
#itrates .#23/ are very harful when they reach high concentrations" but such
concentrations are rarely et in water. #evertheless" the a$iu liit of nitrate
concentration is often e$ceeded in the drin'ing water in Roania.
A higher to$icity is et especially in nitrites .#24/" which are derived fro nitrates in
certain conditions. 2nce they are absorbed into the body" they cobine with the
heoglobin and result in ethaeoglobinaeia" .unable to fi$ and transport o$ygen/"
which leads to ano$ia anifested by cyanosis" ano$ia" asphy$ia" gastric cancer due to the
nitrosaines resulted in certain conditions. In case of concentrations between 35 and
065" there are changes in the teguent coloration, pallor" grayish or bluish hues. In case
of concentrations between 465 and 675" the syptos are the following, headache"
photophobia" wea'ness" confusion" dyspnea" palpitations and chest pain. If the
concentration is between 675 and 175" deliriu or ental alteration ay occur.
*any patients suffering fro chronic ethaeoglobinaeia show no syptos. The
patients who are e$posed to different edications or to$ins that rapidly produce the sae
values that et8* has in chronic patients" can show a severe syptoatology .03/.
The consuption of nitrite-containated water is harful especially for infants because
of the low blood volue" but also because of their al'aline p8 which enables the nitrates
to turn into nitrites.
2. TEMPORAL ANALYSIS
In our country" there were 439+ cases of ethaeoglobinaeia in infants .less than 0
year old/ and :7 deaths; ortality reaching high values between 0<:9 and 0<<6. It is
believed that this figure is uch underestiated because of the difficulty to diagnose this
condition. The orbidity rate increases ainly because of the drin'ing water
containated by faeces" but also because of the widespread use of fertili%ers in
agriculture .04/.
In 0<<9" The Institute of =ublic 8ealth .Institutul de sanatate =ublica/ initiated a progra
concerning ethaeoglobinaeia caused by well waters. About 106 cases were recorded
in Roania between 0<<+ and 4777" with a 7.4:5 ortality rate.
In 4777" there were 963 cases of acute &uvenile ethaeoglobinaeia recorded in
children aged between 7-0 years old. The ortality rate was 7.< 5. The average
occurrence was 7.733> .the nuber of cases?0777 new-born babies in the village/. The
nitrate concentration was between 9+-6+7 g #24?l .06/.
The following data originate fro The Annual Report of the Institute of =ublic 8ealth
Bucharest.
Ta!e ". Wa#er $ua!%#& e#'een "(()*2+++ %n #,e rura! se##!e-en#s ',ere se.ere
/ases 01 -e#,ae-0g!0%nae-%a 'ere re/0r2e2
County @ear #o. of
tested
wells
#o. of wells
with #24
concentration
A077
.g?l/
#o. of wells
where the total
no. of colifors
was e$ceeded
#o. of wells
where the total
no. of fecal
colifors was
e$ceeded
Botosani 0<<1 3< 3+ 4+ 44
0<<: 6< 99 41 3:
0<<< 9: 33 47 3<
D0!3 "(() 242 )2 225 ")2
Bor& 0<<+ 3 0 3 7
0<<1 6 6 6 3
Iasi "(() 4) 67 75 ))
0<<: :0 43 41 9<
Ilfov 0<<1 4 - 7 7
Balati 0<<< 4+ 06 + 03
Teleoran 0<<: 6 4 9 4
Caslui 0<<< 9 7 9 0
Covasna 0<<1 4 4 7 7
0<<: 3 3 4 4
TOTAL 565 2"8 6+5 6")
The !uality of ground water in our country has reached an inappropriate level" and ore
than half of Roania)s surface is e$posed to nitrate pollution.
8. SPATIAL ANALYSIS
In order to test the !uality of the ground water" any saples have been collected fro
the wells in the town of Segarcea" county of (ol&" as well as fro the wells in the villages
and towns neighbouring the #icoresti-Tecuci irrigation syste, =odoleni" Salcia and
Tecuci.
The saples for the icrobiological analyses were collected by pouring. The techni!ues
of puping" streaing" inserting the probe into the buc'et" or collecting the saples
straight fro the buc'et of the well were avoided.
The prelevation and the transportation of the saples et the standards SD D# IS2
0<96:?4771 Water Euality. =relevation for *icrobiological Analysis.
There are any wells with containated water .substances such as nitrates" nitrites"
chlorides and faeces/ not only in the villages" but also in the towns of the county of (ol&.
The physico-cheical analyses conducted in The Water *icrobiology and Cheistry
Faboratory within AS= (ol&" as presented in the table below" showed that the nitrate
levels were uch over the aditted threshold.
Ta!e 2. 9a!ues e:/ee2%ng 'a#er $ua!%#& #,res,0!2s %n #,e 'e!!s 01 #,e #0'n 'e!!s
Segar/ea, #,e /0un#& 01 D0!3
Un%#s 10r #es#%ng U.M. Re/0r2e2 .a!ues T,res,0!2s ; La'
674<2++2= La'
8""<2++6
Str. (ealul Ciilor
well
*g?l 343 67
Str. Ro%elor well *g?l 31: 67
Str. 8arniciei well *g?l 3<6 67
The pollution of the ground water in Segarcea is uch over the aditted threshold. The
water is not suitable for drin'ing" and it can only be used for household purposes. The
result of the bacteriological analysis also showed the presence of faeces in water, 47 g?l
in the water of the Str. 8arniciei well and 97 g?l in the water of the Str. Transilvaniei
well.
In the town of Tecuci as well as in counes of =odoleni and Salcia" the concentration
of nitrates and nitrites in the ground water reached a higher value than during the
previous years. The use of nitrogen derived fertili%ers in the neighbouring agricultural
fields ay be a possible cause for this. (enitrifying bacteria reduce the nitrates and the
nitrites into aonia" a%otites" and" soeties" into olecular nitrogen. The process of
denitrification can ta'e place both into water and on the soil level when the level of the
organic substance is high.
The data concerning the level of the a%otates and a%otites in the wells of the town of
Tecuci and of the counes of Salcia and =odoleni were collected fro the Annual
Report of the Dnvironental *onitoring stage 477:; this was accoplished during the
pro&ect GRefor and Rehabilitation of the Irrigation SysteH" contract no.
9404?+036?477:" between the *inistry of Agriculture and Rural (evelopent as a
beneficiary and S.C. AEIA=R2IDCT S.A. as consultative party in atters regarding the
rehabilitation areas within the irrigation syste Terasa #icoresti Tecuci and Sadova
Corabia. They are shown in Table 3.
Ta!e 8.Da#a /0n/ern%ng #,e #,e !e.e! 01 #,e a>0#a#es an2 a>0#%#es %n #,e 'e!!s 01
Te/u/% , Sa!/%a an2 P020!en%
Un%#s 10r #es#%ng U.M. NO8 NO2
Well of Tecuci *g?l 41.64 7.00++
Well of Salcia *g?l <<.47 7.797:
Well of =odoleni *g?l 1<.+7 7.7667
6. MICRO?IOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
The wells that were tested also showed dense icrobiological flora" such as, Dscherichia
Coli" enterococci" colifor bacteria and colonies .gers at 31JC/" which are potentially
dangerous for people)s health because they can alter the !uality of drin'ing water.
The results following the analysis regarding the physico-cheical and bacteriological
indicators were collected fro the Annual Report of the Dnvironental *onitoring
stage 477:" conducted by S.C. AEIA=R2IDCT S.A." within the pro&ect GRefor and
Rehabilitation of the Irrigation SysteH; they are presented in table 9.
Ta!e 6. 9a!ues e:/ee2%ng 'a#er $ua!%#& #,res,0!2s * -%/r0%0!0g%/a! @ara-e#ers * %n
#,e 'e!!s use2 !0/a!!& 10r 2r%nA%ng
Se/#%0n Re/0r2e2 .a!ues
Es/,er%/,%a
C0!%
En#er0/0//% C0!%10r-
a/#er%a
T0#a! n0. 01
/0!0n%es a#
8)BC
Tecuci" the well
on 044 Ana
Ipatescu Street
49 + 33 A377
Salcia" the well
on 4:: *ain
Street
< 9 09 04:
=odoleni" the
well on 073
*ain Street
977 63 +77 A377
Thresholds
Faw 300?4779
7 7 7 7
The highest values of icrobiological paraeters were found in the well of =odoleni"
where the value for Dscherichia Coli was 977? 077 l" for enterococci was 63?077 l" for
colifor bacteria was +77?077 l" and ore than 377 for colonies developing at 31JC.
Copared to these results" the well of Salcia showed only < escherichia Coli?077 l" 9
enterococci?077 l" 09 colifor bacteria?077 l and 04: colonies developing at 31JC;
nevertheless" the water in this well is not drin'able" either.
2ther dangerous icroorganiss were also found in the containated water, Biardia"
=roteus vulgaris" Salonella and the hepatitis virus which causes the disease called
leptosirosis.
8igh levels of a%otates were recorded in the well of Salcia, <<.47 g?l" whereas the
a$iu aditted liit is 7.67 g?l.
F%g." 9ar%a#%0n 01 #,e a>0#%#e /0n/en#ra#%0n 10r #,e #es#e2 'e!!s
Well of Tecuci well of salcia well of =odoleni
F%g.2 9ar%a#%0n 01 #,e a>0#a#e /0n/en#ra#%0n 10r #,e #es#e2 'e!!s
Well of Tecuci - well of (ealul Ciilor Street - well of Salcia - well of =odoleni -
well in the 8arnicia Street
7. CONCLUSION
The analy%ed data show that ground water pollution" especially due to the discharge both
on the soil and into water of various pollutants such as pesticides" cheical fertili%ers
derived fro nitrogen" detergents" aonia and chloride" has a negative ipact on the
!uality of the drin'ing water" on the neighbouring ecosystes and on people)s lives
!uality.
If nitrate-containated water is consued" it affects people" especially infants" because it
cobines with the heoglobin and it causes ethaeoglobinaeia" which" ost
fre!uently" leads to death.
According to the results of the analyses regarding the physico-cheical indicators of the
water saples collected fro the tested wells" the concentration of a%otates in the
drin'ing water e$ceeded the a$iu aditted liits .the highest concentrations were
found in the wells of the town of Segarcea" county of (ol&/; in addition" the
icrobiological flora was very dense" indicating the presence of different types of
bacteria" enterococci and other icroorganiss which a'e the water in the tested wells
undrin'able" and which are a great danger for the population.
In order to reduce the high levels of nitrates in the water" a possible solution can be
finding an alternative to supply the population with water" or treating the water within a
plant where the water !uality indices are continually being onitored; for agricultural
activities" it is recoendable that the farers should be chec'ed on whether they use
the appropriate !uantity of fertili%ers.
?I?LIOGRAPCY