Alum-Treated Drinking Water in Western Serbia

Abstract

Water quality from three conventional river water treatment plants (Zlatibor, Rzav and Cerovica brdo) using aluminum sulphate (alum)as coagulant in the region of Uzice was investigated in the period 2005-2006. The concentrations of aluminium (Al) in studied samples (drinking water, river and soil) were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission (ICP-OES) spectrometry and validated by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and DC-Arc plasma. Similar results were obtained by employed analytical methods. The total residual aluminum concentrations were in the range of 0.02 to 0.26 mg AN controlled by pH at investigated treatment plants. Concentrations of residual aluminium exceeding the public health goal standards were recorded in spring (March, April) during snow-melt episodes in this area. The discharge water after breed treatment with alum coagulant into the stream rivers did not cause any changes of the natural equilibrium of this ecosystem as well as indirectly the category of these rivers downstreams.