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States,impacts
For many years, human activities have affected the quality of Romanian surface and groundwaters.
In termsof the current national classification scheme for physico-chemical and biological water quality assessment, between 2005 and 2008 there wasan increase in the length of rivers classified as havingvery good (Class I) or good (Class II) quality water and a decrease in the length of rivers with moderate (Class III), weak (Class IV) or bad (Class V)qualitywater.
Compared to the faster evolution of water quality from the physico-chemical point of view, the evolution of water quality from the biological point of view shows slower improvements in quality, because the natural aquatic systemsare taking a longer time to recover.
In the pastdecade there has been a decrease in concentrations of nitrates in rivers. Agriculture is the largest contributor of nitrogen pollution, and, due to the abatement measures, nitrogen pollution from agriculture has been reduced in some regions over the past10 years, and this is reflected in lower river nitrate concentrations. Trendanalysis is based on the resultsof nitrate determinations from WISE – SoE 119 monitoring stations in the period 2001-2008.
Nitrateconcentrations in inland surface waters vary between different river basins.Its average concentration in rivers at 47 % of the stations varies between 0.8 and 2 mg/l N-NO3;at43 % of the stations the average concentration is below 0.8 mg/l N, and at about 10 % the average ishigher than 2 mg/l N-NO3. The differences in nitrate levels in the regions reflect the differences in agricultural pressures, which are highest in the eastern and northeastern partsand lowest in the southern, western and northern partsof the country.
Regarding the trends over timeof nitrate concentrations, around 15 % of WISE –SoE monitoring stations on Romania's rivers show a statistically significant decreasing trend for the whole period 2001-2008, and 10 % of the stations show a weakly decreasing trend, indicating a partial success of legislative measures to reduce nitrate pollution. Most of the stations, 68 %, have no cleartrend and 7 %have an increasing trend. Figures3 and 4 showthe average nitrate concentrations in the period 2006-2008 at WISE –SoE monitoring stations for some river basins – Bega-Timis in the western part, Arges-Vedea and Danube in the southern part, Siret in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country).
The concentrations of orthophosphate in rivers has decreased during theperiod2006-2008, but less markedly than in lakes. The decrease is due to the measures introduced by national and European legislation, in particular the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which requires the reductionof nutrients. Agricultural sources of phosphorus are still important and need increased attention to achieve good water status in lakes and rivers. The improvements in some lakes have generally been relatively slow despite the pollution abatement measures taken. This is at least partly because of internal phosphorus loading from phosphorus stored in the lake sediments and because the ecosystems can be resistant to improvement and thereby remain in a poor state.
The average orthophosphate concentration in rivers varies between 0.05 and 0.1 mg/l P-PO4at 20 % of the WISE – SoE stations.50 % of the stations have an average concentration below 0.05 mg/l P, and about 30 %an average higher than 0.1 mg/l P-PO4.
Around 26 % of the monitoring stations onrivers show a decreasing trend of orthophosphate concentrations for the period 2001-2008.Most of the stations, 70 %, have no trend. Only 4 %show an increase in the same period. These trends reflect the partial success of legislative measures to reduce emissions of phosphorus,such as those required by the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Figures5 and 6 showthe average orthophosphate concentrations in the period 2006-2008 at WISE – SoE monitoring stations for the same river basins in the country (Bega-Timis, Arges-Vedea, Danube and Siret).
Oxygen-consuming substances,Organic matter and ammonium
The most important sources of organic waste load, expressed as biological oxygen demand – BOD, in Romania are: household wastewater, 76 %; industries such as paper or food processing, 8 %; and silage effluents and manure from agriculture, 4 %)
The average BOD concentration in rivers varies between 3 and 4 mg/l O2at 20 % of the stations,54 % of the stations have an average concentration below 3 mg/l O2, and around 26 % of stations an average concentration higher than 4 mg/l O2.
Regarding the trend of BOD concentrations, around 19 % of WISE – SoE monitoring stations on Romania's rivers show a statistically significant decreasing trend for the whole period 2001-2008, and 3 % stations show a weakly decreasing trend, indicating a partial success of legislative measures and infrastructure works for urban wastewater collection and treatment to reduce organic pollution. Three-quarters the stations have no cleartrend and 3 %an increasing trend. Figures7 and 8 showthe average BOD concentrations in the period 2006-2008 at WISE – SoE monitoring stations in some river basins in the country (Bega-Timis, Somes, Arges-Vedea, Danube and Siret).
The average total ammonium concentration in rivers at 18 % of the stations varies between 0.2 and 0.4 mg/l N-NH4. At58 % of the stations the average ammonium concentration is below 0.2 mg/l N-NH4, and at about 24 % it ishigher than 0.4 mg/l N-NH4.
Regarding the trend of ammonium concentrations, around 52 % of thestations show a statistically significant decreasing trend for the whole period 2001-2008, and 9 % show a weakly decreasing trend, indicating a success of legislative measures to reduce organic pollution. The economic recession of the country after the 1990s also contributed to this fall, as there was a decline in heavily polluting manufacturing industries.
Many of the stations, 37 %, have no evident trend and 2 %an increasing trend. Figures9 and 10 showthe average total ammonium concentrations in the period 2006-2008 at WISE – SoE monitoring stations for some river basins in the country (Bega-Timis, Somes, Arges-Vedea, Danube and Siret).
As regards groundwater, from analysis of processed data from monitoring the physico-chemical parameters by drilling into the groundwater, most of the exceedances of the current limit valueswere recorded for the following indicators: organic substances, nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, chlorides, total hardness, iron, and phosphates.
Most of the groundwater has beenaffected, from timeto time, by contaminationby nitrates. Exceedancesfor this indicator were recorded, on average, in 10-15% of all monitored drillings. However, pollution is distributeddifferently, because there are areas in the aquifer where the concentrations are above the admissible value of 50 mg/l.
Pollutionof groundwater is usually irreversible which has serious consequences for using the groundwater reserve forfreshwater supply. Removal of pollution from groundwater is extremely difficult, or even impossible.
Concerning wastewaters, only 30 % of allwastewater installations function according to normal parameters. In 2008, 70 % of wastewater coming from the main pollution sources was discharged,untreated or insufficiently treated,into the natural receptors, mainly rivers, compared with 79 % between 2005 and 2006.
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/2010/countries/ro/freshwater-state-and-impacts-romania or scan the QR code.
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