Quality of Water in the Road Drainage Systems in the Warsaw Agglomeration, Poland

• Main Authors: Joanna Fronczyk, Maja Radziemska, Piotr Dynowski, Zbigniew Mazur, Marcin Bazydło
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-09-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: drainage system; pollution; water quality; salinity; nutrients; heavy metals; organic compounds
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/8/10/429

Water from road drainage systems shed into ditches and infiltration reservoirs may pose a hazard to the natural environment due to the possibility of being introduced into groundwater and surface water. The paper presents the results of chemical analyses of samples collected from selected points of the Warsaw agglomeration road drainage system. The samples were tested for the content of the following parameters: pH, EC (multimeter-electrode), Cl− (Mohr method), SO42−, PO43−, NH4+, NO3−, TOC, COD (UV-VIS), Cu, Zn, Ni, and Pb (ASA). The analysed points differed significantly in the variability of the tested parameters in the measurement period. The highest values of EC and Cl− were noted in three tested points, in which the EC content exceeded the permissible values for the second class of water quality. The contents of sulphates in all but one point were within the range for water of very good quality. Water pH was slightly alkaline. Low concentrations of nitrogen forms, nitrate and ammonium ions were observed. The concentrations of Ni, Pb and Zn did not exceed the boundary values for industrial sewage shed into the water or ground. The concentration of Cu exceeded the permissible concentrations determined in the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment almost three times.