CONFERENCEQuality of spring waters in Latvia
Inga Retike
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, Latvian Centre for Environment, Geology and Meteorology, Department of Hydrogeology
Janis Bikse
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
Zelma Dumpe
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
Alise Babre
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
Andis Kalvans
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
Aija Delina
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
Konrads Popovs
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
DOI: 10.22364/fg.15.7
Keywords: groundwater, chemical composition, drinking water, maximum permissible limit
Abstract
There are thousands of areas in Latvia where groundwater flows out to the surface in springs; therefore, people actively consume spring water. There is currently a lack of information about the quality of spring water that people use daily. The results from previous studies are not easily accessible by the general public, and data is not gathered into reviews. In this article, the chemical compositions of water from 34 springs in Latvia identified by previous studies were compiled and analysed in order to determine if they met the criteria for safe drinking water. The results show that in general, the chemical composition of spring water meets the quality requirements. Iron was the most likely ion to exceed the maximum permissible value. However, in almost half of the samples, unusually high nitrate values for groundwater was observed, suggesting the high vulnerability of spring water to potential surface contamination.