Groundwater often contains excessive concentrations of mineral and organic substances, in particular iron and magnesium. While iron, manganese and trace metals occur naturally in the environment, some amounts of these elements can originate from anthropogenic sources. Industrial plants create a threat of chemical contamination to groundwater. This research tested concentrations of selected compounds in water from wells located on private premises in the vicinity of a copper ore tailings impoundment. Water from wells in from 11 locations was analyzed for Fe, Mg and trace elements such as Cu, Ni, Zn and Cr. The results were compared to standards for drinking water. Analyses of samples of well water in the research area revealed that the concentrations of trace metals in most wells were below the acceptable groundwater standard limits for Cu, Ni, Zn and Cr. The average concentration of Cu in groundwater varied from 0.009 – 0.038 mg∙dm-3, Ni: 0.003 – 0.009 mg∙dm-3, Zn: 0.030 – 0.826 mg∙dm-3 and Cr: 0.002 – 0.003 mg∙dm-3. Meanwhile, the analyzed water samples are characterized by frequent excessive amounts of iron and magnesium and average concentrations of these metals ranged  between 0.1 and 1.1 mg∙dm-3 for iron and 0.0001 and 0.4 mg∙dm-3 for magnesium. However, there were significant differences between the examined years and sites. Consequently, water from the wells was unsuitable for drinking. Nevertheless, the presence of the copper ore tailings impoundment did not impact the the quality of water drawn from the analyzed wells.    

4.23.2018