Czynniki kształtujące jakość płytkich wód podziemnych na Pogórzu Wiśnickim

Abstract

Factors affecting the shallow groundwater quality in the Wioenickie Foothills.A b s t r a c t. The aimof this study was to investigate the chemical composition of groundwater and the factors affecting it in the Stara Rzeka catchment located in the marginal zone of the Carpathian Mountains in the Wiśnickie Foothills. Nineteen samples of water were collected from wells and their pH and electrolytic conductivity were measured. The chemical composition of the samples, including 14 ions was determined by ion chromatography. Principal component analysis (PCA) allowed to isolate the factors affecting the quality ofgroundwater. Geological structure and anthropogenic pressure proved to be the determining factors. The cluster analysis was also used in this study and it allowed to group the analyzed waters in terms of their mutual similarity. Additionally, the chemical composition of water samples was determined with regard to their suitability for human consumption.