Hrvatske vode, Vol. 32 No. 129, 2024.
Preliminary communication
Physicochemical water quality of streams in Međimurje that are recipients of final effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plant
Dunja Turk
orcid.org/0009-0000-2158-7283
; Bioinstitut d.o.o., Čakovec, Hrvatska
*
Teuta Tompić
; Bioinstitut d.o.o., Čakovec, Hrvatska
Rosanda Škvorc Vidović
orcid.org/0009-0003-9578-4660
; Bioinstitut d.o.o., Čakovec, Hrvatska
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Water pollution is a serious and increasing threat to environment and human health. EU water politics is directed towards reaching good quality status of all environmental waters. Final effluents from wastewater treatment plants are considered significant contributors to surface water quality deterioration. This study reports physicochemical characteristics of two streams in Međimurje (Croatia) that receive final effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants: Trnava and Bistrec-Rakovnica. 16 physicochemical parameters were analysed during four years of research: temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, saturation, suspended solids, alkalinity, hardness, BOD, COD and nutrients including ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, total nitrogen, orthophosphate and total phosphorus. From the measurement results, the ecological quality of streams was assessed according to Croatian regulation on water quality. Water quality of both streams is degraded by nutrient content, with nitrates and total nitrogen being the major contributors to nutrient pollution in every year of monitoring. Besides discharge from wastewater treatment plants, both streams are exposed to other pressures that affect physicochemical characteristics and surface water quality, such as agriculture and untreated sewage. More effective and concrete protective and restorative measures need to be considered promptly to achieve a mandatory quality status of these watercourses.
Keywords
surface waters; water quality parameters; WWTP; discharge; Međimurje water streams; Trnava; Bistrec-Rakovnica
Hrčak ID:
334126
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2024.
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