Quality assessment and health safety of natural spring water

Abstract

In this paper the natural spring water was investigated. The sample of spring water was taken at the beginning of July 2019 in Tuzla, Bosnia and Hercegovina (BIH), which is consumed by the local population. The source of in-vestigated spring water is located above salt mine. All parameters of health safety were analysed by the methods of laboratory tests regulated by the State regulation on natural mineral and natural spring waters ”Official Ga-zette BiH” No. 26/10 and 32/12, i.e. physical-chemical and microbiological analysis was performed. The results of the study showed that water is not for drinking because it contains higher concentrations of ammonium ion (NH4+) which is 0.89 mg/L, nitrite (NO2-) 2.20 mg/L and sulphate (SO42-) 398.34 mg/L, and coliform bacteria are isolated. The pH value of 9.07 indicate that this spring water is alkaline. The concentrations of iron (Fe2+) 0.007 mg/L and manganese (Mn2+) 0.0144 mg/L are within the allowed limit values while the concentration of lead (Pb2+) 0.0088 is at the upper maximum allowable value. The results of this research indicate that water in this untreated state is not for drinking.