Availability of aluminum in river water supplying dam reservoirs in Lower Silesia considering the hydrochemical conditions

Abstract The study included water from the rivers (Nysa Szalona, Bystrzyca, Strzegomka and their tributaries) supplying dam reservoirs. An assessment of water contamination with aluminum and heavy metals was made using the MPI (Metal Pollution Index) contamination index considering the hydrochemical parameters. The study was conducted in a 4-year cycle, twice during each year. It was found that the levels of aluminum, heavy metals and other physical and chemical parameters were low and met the environmental criteria of the limit values for surface waters. The highest amounts of aluminum were recorded in the Nysa Szalona and Strzegomka rivers, and the lowest in the Bystrzyca. In the four-year cycle, the level of aluminum depended on the modernization works carried out in the riverbeds and did not reflect changes in environmental conditions. The level of aluminum in the Nysa Szalona was higher in autumn, while in the Strzegomka and Bystrzyca in spring. Waters of the studied rivers flowing into dam reservoirs do not pose a threat to the quality of water collected from the reservoirs for municipal purposes (drinking water).