Increased concentrations of nitrates in groundwater in selected localities of the Moravian–Silesian and Olomouc Regions in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The paper deals with the issue of nitrates in groundwater, to where they predominantly pass due to the application of nitrogen fertilizers in agricultural areas. Excess concentrations of nitrates in drinking water are undesirable, and may even cause a life-threatening condition called methemoglobinemia. The permissible concentrations of nitrates in drinking water are determined by legislation and the upper limit is 50 mg/l. Approximately 5% of the Czech population draw water from individual sources. In this study we identified and analysed selected samples from wells located in the Moravian-Silesian Region and in the Olomouc Region. The data and test results in this paper show that the nitrate concentration limit of 50 mg/l was exceeded in a half of the analysed groundwater samples. In some cases, the limit was exceeded in the order of tens of mg/l.