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Babe-Bolyai University, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, 30 Fntnele Street, 400294,
Cluj-Napoca, Romania; e-mail: Radu.Mihaiescu@ubbcluj.ro
2
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3
Babe-Bolyai University Cluj, Faculty of Geography
4
INCDO-INOE 2000, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation, ICIA Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Abstract: Most glacial Romanian Carpathians lakes are located above 1,800 m elevation, in remote or even
protected areas, with little anthropic influences, such as local pollution or land use change, and can be
considerate open systems with surface in- and outflow. Although the water fluxes are relatively high, glacial
mountain lakes represent sensitive areas to human induced disturbances such as atmospheric transported
pollutants and pollution generated on site, usually by tourist fluxes. These anthropic inputs can influence
water quality and aquatic ecosystems and decrease the ecosystem services provided by the mountain areas.
Due to the generally low content of dissolved substances, mountain lakes are sensitive to minor changes in
water chemistry, and periodic sampling can serve as early warning in identifying dangerous trends in
environmental quality on larger scales. The survey was carried out in 2011 and 2012. In all the surveys, the
lakes were sampled in summerearly autumn in the ice-free period. Water samples were collected from
three different sites for each lake covering the entire lake surface and were analyzed for a pre-defined set of
physical and chemical indicators. Water pH levels ranged between 7.2 7.9 and electrical conductivity
between 14.2 101.5 S cm-1. Heavy metals show low concentration in the analyzed water lakes: zinc
(1.41-4.04 g L1), manganese (0.59-5.02 g L1), nickel (0.28-1.12 g L1), copper (1.45-5.29 g L1),
cadmium (0.21-0.4 g L1) which are below the maximum allowed concentration for first quality class
according to Romanian legislation. In contrast, measured lead concentration varied between 1.29-5.54 g
L1.The results have shown a generally good water quality, the majority of the lakes can be classified as
first quality class excepting Blea Lake and Pietrosul Lake with values according the second class, due to
a slight increase in lead concentration, attributed to atmospheric transport and deposition for Pietrosu
Lake, and in Blea Lake case due to road traffic or local unknown sources.
Key words: mountain lakes, Romanian Carpathians, remote mountain lake, water chemistry, water quality
2. METHODOLOGY
The lakes were sampled in 2011 and 2012 in
two sampling campaigns each year. In all the
surveys, the lakes were sampled in June and
September, in the ice-free conditions, and a mean
value of the two study years was calculated in order
to reduce the interannual variability related to
meteorological and hydrological features.
The water samples were collected from the
inlet, outlet and center part of the lake at about 50
cm below the water surface. Samples were stored in
clean plastic bottles.
Standard
laboratory
procedures
and
appropriate conservation criteria (cooler storage
boxes, acidification, filtration through a 0.45 m
membrane filter Millipore, to remove particulate
material etc.) were followed for analyses of water
samples. Water samples were analyzed for a predefined set of physical and chemical indicators to
permit monitoring of how climate-driven
environmental change will affect water quality and
their ecosystem functioning and to create a reference
database that can be used for comparative
assessment and trend delineation.
Water temperature, dissolved oxygen,
electrical conductivity (at 25C) and pH were
measured in-situ, using a thermometer and
electrodes (WTW instruments), respectively. The
concentrations of major anions and cations were
measured using ion chromatography (DIONEX
ICS-1500 IC system).
The total concentrations of metals were
determined using an Inductively Coupled Plasma
Mass Spectrometer (SCIEX Perkin-Elmer Elan DRC
II). Analyses were made in triplicate and the mean
values are reported. The samples with ion
concentrations exceeding the calibration range were
Site / Lake
Max. depth,
m
Rodnei Mountains
Iezerul Pietrosul
1,825
Buhiescu II
1,890
Fgra Mountains
Blea
2,034
Clun
2,135
47 35' 54" N
24 38' 52" E
47 35' 14" N
24 38' 48" E
45 36' 13" N
24 37' 07" E
45 34' 55" N
24 34' 26" E
54.4
0.41
132.7
2.3*
62.9
0.2
314.5
5.2*
45.5
4.78
9.5
11.35*
16.9**
18.6
0.8
23.3
11,8*
4.04
41.4
8.92
22.7
Retezat Mountains
45 38' 70" N
167.206
22.91' 11" E
45 36' 24" N
Bucura
2,041
202.08
22 87' 65" E
*Piota, I., 1971, **Vespremeanu et al., 2008
Gales
2,040
20.1*
20.5**
15.7*
17,5**
Buhiescu
Iezerul Pietrosului
Blea
Bucura
Galeu
Table 2 (continued)
Cu, g L-1
Cd, g L-1
Pb, g L-1
pH (25C), pH unit
EC (25C), S cm-1
DO, mg O L-1
Na+, eq L-1
K+, eq L-1
Ca2+, eq L-1
Mg2+, eq L-1
Cl-, eq L-1
NO3-, eq L-1
SO42-, eq L-1
Mn, g L-1
Zn, g L-1
Ni, g L-1
Cu, g L-1
Cd, g L-1
Pb, g L-1
pH (25C), pH unit
EC (25C), S cm-1
DO, mg O L-1
Na+, eq L-1
K+, eq L-1
Ca2+, eq L-1
Mg2+, eq L-1
Cl-, eq L-1
NO3-, eq L-1
SO42-, eq L-1
Mn, g L-1
Zn, g L-1
Ni, g L-1
Cu, g L-1
Cd, g L-1
Pb, g L-1
pH (25C), pH unit
EC (25C), S cm-1
DO, mg O L-1
Na+, eq L-1
K+, eq L-1
Ca2+, eq L-1
Mg2+, eq L-1
Cl-, eq L-1
NO3-, eq L-1
SO42-, eq L-1
Mn, g L-1
Zn, g L-1
Ni, g L-1
Cu, g L-1
Cd, g L-1
Pb, g L-1
2.66 0.22
0.25 0.06
3.56 0.74
7.51 0.46
14.2 0.81
12.1 0.31
33 2.44
4 0.13
74 1.72
15 1.3
6 0.37
33 4.19
64 0.79
0.77 0.22
2.54 0.66
0.34 0.12
1.45 0.41
0.4 0.05
1.32 0.47
7.2 0.21
14.4 0.23
10.3 0.42
58 2.98
4 1.5
69 2.35
15 0.86
6 0.44
12 4.17
73 2.89
1.46 0.24
2.98 0.72
1.12 0.38
1.91 0.21
0.35 0.05
2.83 0.58
7.7 0.23
101.5 2.63
9.9 0.27
18 1.29
8 0.71
798 27.50
148 2.36
62 0.86
53 14.88
115 2.03
5.02 0.20
1.41 0.12
0.28 0.09
5.29 0.88
0.31 0.07
4.18 1.13
2.11
0.09
1.64
6.3
12.1
11.3
27
4
69
12
5
22
62
0.20
0.85
0.02
0.41
0.28
0.11
6.7
13.8
9.2
50
4
63
13
5
2
65
0.83
1.15
0.15
1.36
0.22
1.35
7.1
94.7
9.2
15
6
727
142
60
14
109
4.52
1.11
0.04
3.04
0.12
1.28
3.22
0.40
5.47
8.7
16.3
12.9
39
5
78
19
7
43
66
1.33
4.22
0.66
2.49
0.52
2.52
7.8
15.0
11.4
65
5
75
17
7
23
80
2.08
4.82
2.10
2.45
0.48
4.32
8.3
108.2
10.5
21
10
868
154
64
91
120
5.53
1.72
0.52
7.55
0.49
7.08
2.80
0.28
4.29
7.6
14.1
12.0
33
4
73
16
6
32
65
0.73
1.97
0.18
1.56
0.45
1.16
7.4
14.5
10.1
58
4
70
15
6
16
73
1.35
2.51
0.96
1.84
0.31
3.15
7.7
102.9
10
18
8
791
148
62
60
116
4.92
1.40
0.32
5.33
0.26
4.13
1.75
0.00
0.00
6.3
12.2
11.1
26
4
69
9
6
22
61
0.00
1.20
0.13
0.31
0.21
0.00
6.3
13.7
9.1
49
4
60
13
5
0
63
0.90
1.48
0.14
1.37
0.20
0.90
7.0
91.1
8.9
14
6
708
141
59
0.0
106
4.43
1.09
0.01
2.80
0.18
0.0
3.20
0.39
4.90
8.7
16.8
13.2
41
5
80
18
8
46
66
1.50
5.40
0.90
2.50
0.5
2.74
7.7
15.2
12.1
71
5
76
18
8
23
81
2.30
6.00
2.70
2.80
0.50
4.20
8.4
107
10.8
23
10
878
156
65
88
120
5.67
1.90
0.52
7.79
0.66
8.70
3.12
0.38
4.73
8.7
16.3
13.0
40
5
79
18
7
44
66
1.35
4.40
0.70
2.40
0.5
2.57
7.7
15.0
11.5
65
5
75
18
7
22
81
2.10
4.90
2.10
2.45
0.50
4.15
8.3
106.9
10.5
22
10
154
873
6
88
119
5.58
1.70
0.51
7.60
0.48
6.51
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Clun
Table 2 (continued)
pH (25C), pH unit
EC (25C), S cm-1
DO, mg O L-1
Na+, eq L-1
K+, eq L-1
Ca2+, eq L-1
Mg2+, eq L-1
Cl-, eq L-1
NO3-, eq L-1
SO42-, eq L-1
Mn, g L-1
Zn, g L-1
Ni, g L-1
Cu, g L-1
Cd, g L-1
Pb, g L-1
7.3 0.18
27.0 0.42
9.8 0.39
33 1.7
4 0.41
117 2.17
20 2.05
6 0.18
4 1.23
169 3.63
3.14 0.51
1.61 0.02
0.98 0.1
3.01 0.38
0.21 0.01
1.29 0.31
6.8
25.9
8.8
29
3
112
14
6
1
160
1.83
1.55
0.73
2.03
0.18
0.51
7.7
28.1
10.8
38
5
123
25
7
7
178
4.45
1.67
1.24
4.00
0.24
2.08
7.4
26.8
10.0
35
4
118
18
6
4
167
3.15
1.61
1.05
3.25
0.22
0.86
6.4
25.8
8.7
25
3
111
15
6
0
161
1.68
1.50
0.50
1.90
0.17
0.85
7.7
28.4
10.9
36
6
126
28
7
8
186
4.58
1.66
1.14
3.89
0.24
2.67
7.6
28.2
10.8
36
5
123
26
7
7
178
4.54
1.65
1.14
3.89
0.24
2.16
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4. CONCLUSIONS
The differences in water chemistry between
the studied glacial lakes can be attributed to several
factors such as geology, climate and relief (different
input from the weathering, different size of the
watersheds, different retention times) and sometimes
human influence.
Despite the fact that thousands of tourist are
present yearly in the mountain lake catchments the
water quality is still maintaining in good quality as
shown by the obtained results. At present, the
studied lakes seem to be well preserved by
acidification risk, but further studies are required to
identify the ecological impact of other human
disturbance and to determine the sources and
impacts of heavy metals, on the quality of the water.
The presence of unique and valorous
mountain ecosystems, highly valued by general
public, should justify even greater protection and
conservation efforts, in the conditions of constantly
increasing tourist traffic.
Mountain areas represent a field were,
perhaps, more than in other places, measures that are
needed to be taken in order to preserve and protect
ecosystems, as required by EU Directives, need to
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