GROUNDWATER QUALITY IN A RURAL AREA FROM BUZĂU COUNTY, ROMANIA

The underground water is the only source of drinking water in Buzău County. As a consequence the investigation of the underground water has a major importance. In the present study, a number of seven groundwater sources, located in Bisoca commune, NE of Buzău County, were selected in order to investigate the underground water quality. Several physico-chemical (temperature, pH, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential, salinity and turbidity) and chemical (Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+, F-, Cl-, Br-, NO2-, NO3-, PO43-, SO42-, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn, Fe, Ni and Pb) parameters were analyzed. The waters proved to have low salinity values (0.1- 0.8‰) and electrical conductivity (89.5 ? 1993.0 μS/cm). The dissolved ions distribution is dominated by the presence of sodium (3.6 ? 232.9 mg/l), calcium (6.8 ? 365.43 mg/l), sulphates (10.9 ? 1301.4 mg/l), bicarbonates (427 ? 793 mg/l) and chloride (5.1 ? 166.1 mg/l). In the case of iron and lead there were registered exceeding’s of maximum permissible limits for drinking water.