Quality and safety of tap water in selected Ukrainian regions
Abstract
S. Shulyak, L. Shevchenko, V. Mykhalska*, O. Kaminska, O. Gaidei, V. Kovalenko, Y. Balatskyi, M. Кryvenok and S. Boyarchuk
Groundwater runoff supplies 80% of all drinking water in Ukraine. Their quality and safety differ depending on the biogeochemical zones, the concentration of industrial enterprises, and the state of treatment plants, creating problems in different regions of Ukraine. At the same time, Ukraine's accession to the European Community requires a gradual approximation of national legislation to that of the EU, including regulations on drinking water. Many monitoring studies on drinking water quality have been conducted in Ukraine; however, they concern individual pollutants and require evaluation according to the new drinking water standard criteria. Many monitoring studies on drinking water quality have been conducted in Ukraine; however, they concern individual pollutants and require evaluation according to the new drinking water standard criteria. For the first time, we analyzed 23 indicators of water quality and safety of tap water in the northern, central, southern, and western regions of Ukraine according to national and European standards.
Our studies have shown that the mercury content exceeds the MPC (maximum permitted concentration) 1.25 times according to the requirements of Drinking water standards of Ukraine in the tap water of certain settlements in the Odesa region, the manganese content is three times higher in the Sumy region, in Chernihiv region, iron 1.35 times exceeds its MPC according to the DSTU 7525:2014. These results indicate the need to improve the drinking water treatment system in certain oblasts of Ukraine. The pollution of tap water in the settlements of the northern, central, southern, and western regions of Ukraine with nitrogen compounds (ammonium, nitrates, nitrites), sulfates, and chlorides have not been detected. Trace elements such as manganese, iron, and copper are also essential, and they play a significant role in ensuring the vital activity of people and animals, and their deficiency causes no less dangerous disturbances in the body than their excess. Tap water in the settlements of Volyn, Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Odesa oblasts has increased concentration of manganese; the water of Sumy, Odesa, and Volyn regions have high concentration of iron; the water of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Cherkasy, Odesa, and Volyn regions had increased concentration of copper; the water of all Ukrainian regions has a low fluorine content, which is consistent with the data of epidemiological studies of microelements diseases in these territories. This water indicates the need for its additional mineralization according to the mentioned trace elements.