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Distribution of the Total Arsenic Content in Drinking Water Obtained from Different Water Sources in the Republic of Macedonia

Received: 19 June 2014     Accepted: 7 July 2014     Published: 20 July 2014
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Abstract

The present study investigates the total arsenic (As) content in the samples of drinking water in the Republic of Macedonia, which is obtained from different water sources, such as: springs, surface accumulations, underground accumulations and drilled wells. From January 2013 to December 2013, a total of 780 samples obtained from the public water supply systems at 35 measurement points distributed throughout the whole territory of the Republic of Macedonia were analyzed on the total As content. A flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry (FIAS) was employed for the determination of the total As content after wet digestion of the samples with nitric acid (67%, W/V) and hydrogen peroxide (30%, V/V). The results of the study revealed that in 96.7% of the tested samples, As content was below established maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of 10 μg/L. As concentrations up to 26.4 μg/L were found in the samples of drinking water that comes from the water sources located in the vicinity of Kozhuf Mountain, which is due to the mineral composition of the mountain body rich with As containing minerals: lorandite, orpiment, realgar, arsenopyrite etc. Higher As concentrations (5.47 μg/L – 26.6 μg/L) were also found in the samples of drinking water obtained from the water supply system of the towns from the Dojran Municipality which are located in the vicinity of thermal-mineral area of Mala Boshka – Toplec. It can be concluded that the presence of total As in the potable water in the Republic of Macedonia comes only from natural sources.

Published in Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18
Page(s) 146-155
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2014. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Arsenic (As), Drinking Water, Flow Injection Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FIAS), Maximum Allowable Concentration (MAC)

References
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[2] D. Van Halem, S. A Bakker, G. L. Amy, and. J. C Van Dijk, “Arsenic in drinking water: a worldwide water quality concern for water supply companies,” Drink. Water Eng. Sci., vol (2), pp. 29–34, 2009.
[3] K. Moon., E. Guallar, and A. N Acien, “Arsenic exposure and cardiovascular disease: An updated systematic review. Curr Atheroscler Rep,” vol. 14(6), pp. 542-555, 2012.
[4] P. L Smedley, and D. G. Kinniburgh,.”A review of the source, behaviour and distribution of arsenic in natural waters,” Appl. Geochem., vol. 17, pp. 517–568, 2002.
[5] P. Bhattacharya, S.H. Frisbie, E. Smith, R. Naidu, G. Jacks, and B. Sarkar, “Arsenic in the environment: a global perspective”, In: Handbook of heavy metals in the environment, Marcell Dekker, New York, pp. 147-215, 2002.
[6] R. Johnston, H. Heijnen, and P. Wurzel,,” Safe Water Technology”, In Chapter 6 United Nations Synthesis Report on Arsenic in Drinking Water, World Health Organisation, pp. 390, 2001.
[7] WHO, 2003 World Health Organization, “Arsenic in drinking-water, Background document for development of WHO guidelines for drinking water quality”, Geneva, 2003.
[8] N. Dumurdzanov, T. Serafimovski, and B. C. Burchfiel, ”Cenozoic tectonics of Macedonia and its relation to the South Balkan extensional regime”, Geosphere, vol. 1(1), pp. 1–22, 2005.
[9] T. Mitkova, and J. Mitrikeski, “Soils of the Republic of Macedonia: Present Situation and Future Prospect,” European Soil Bureau – Research report No. 9, pp. 225-233, 2011.
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[12] N. Dumurdzanov, T Serafimovski, and B.C. Burchfiel, “Evolution of the Neogene - Pleistocene Basins of Macedonia”, Geological Society of America Digital Map and Chart Series 1, vol. (1), pp. 1-20, 2004.
[13] P. Vrhovnik, N. Rogan Shmuc, T. Dolenec, T. Serafimovski, and G. Tasev, “Geochemical investigation of Sasa tailings dam material and its influence on the Lake Kalimanci surficial sediments (Republic of Macedonia) – preliminary study”, Geologija, vol. 54 (2), pp. 169-176, 2011.
[14] T. Serafimovski, G. Tasev, and T. Dolenec, “Petrological and Geochemical Features of the Neogene Volcanites of the Osogovo Mountains, eastern Macedonia, ”Materials and Geo-environment”, vol. 52 (3), pp. 523-534, 2006.
[15] J.A. Krenner, “Lorandit, ein Thalliummineral von Allcher in Macedonien,” Zeitschaift fur Kristalographie und Mineralogie, vol. 27, pp. 107-109, 1989.
[16] N.T Kochneva, A.V. Volkov, T. Serafimovski, G Tasev, and I.N Tomson, “Tectonic Position of the Alshar Au–As–Sb–Tl Deposit, Macedonia,” Doklady Earth Sciences, vol. 407 (2), pp. 175–178, 2006.
[17] P. Seyler, and J.M. Martin, “Arsenic and selenium in a pristine river-estuarine system: the Krka (Yugoslavia)”, Mar. Chem., vol. 34, pp. 137-151, 1991.
[18] O. Zlatkin, D. Avigad, and A. Gerdes,”Peri-Amazonian provenance of the Proto-Pelagonian basement (Greece), from zircon U-Pb geochronology and Lu-Hf isotopic geochemist”, Lithos, vol. 1, pp. 379-392, 2014.
[19] P.L. Smedley, D.G. Kinniburgh, “A review of the source, behavior and distribution of arsenic in natural waters”, Applied Geochemistry, vol. 17, pp. 517-568, 2002.
[20] B.K. Mandal, K.T. Suzuki, “Arsenic around the world: a review,” Talanta, vol. 58, pp. 201-235, 2002.
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    Vesna Kostik, Biljana Gjorgeska, Bistra Angelovska, Biljana Bauer, Sofija Petkovska. (2014). Distribution of the Total Arsenic Content in Drinking Water Obtained from Different Water Sources in the Republic of Macedonia. Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2(4), 146-155. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18

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    ACS Style

    Vesna Kostik; Biljana Gjorgeska; Bistra Angelovska; Biljana Bauer; Sofija Petkovska. Distribution of the Total Arsenic Content in Drinking Water Obtained from Different Water Sources in the Republic of Macedonia. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 2014, 2(4), 146-155. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18

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    AMA Style

    Vesna Kostik, Biljana Gjorgeska, Bistra Angelovska, Biljana Bauer, Sofija Petkovska. Distribution of the Total Arsenic Content in Drinking Water Obtained from Different Water Sources in the Republic of Macedonia. J Food Nutr Sci. 2014;2(4):146-155. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18,
      author = {Vesna Kostik and Biljana Gjorgeska and Bistra Angelovska and Biljana Bauer and Sofija Petkovska},
      title = {Distribution of the Total Arsenic Content in Drinking Water Obtained from Different Water Sources in the Republic of Macedonia},
      journal = {Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {146-155},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jfns.20140204.18},
      abstract = {The present study investigates the total arsenic (As) content in the samples of drinking water in the Republic of Macedonia, which is obtained from different water sources, such as: springs, surface accumulations, underground accumulations and drilled wells. From January 2013 to December 2013, a total of 780 samples obtained from the public water supply systems at 35 measurement points distributed throughout the whole territory of the Republic of Macedonia were analyzed on the total As content. A flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry (FIAS) was employed for the determination of the total As content after wet digestion of the samples with nitric acid (67%, W/V) and hydrogen peroxide (30%, V/V). The results of the study revealed that in 96.7% of the tested samples, As content was below established maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of 10 μg/L. As concentrations up to 26.4 μg/L were found in the samples of drinking water that comes from the water sources located in the vicinity of Kozhuf Mountain, which is due to the mineral composition of the mountain body rich with As containing minerals: lorandite, orpiment, realgar, arsenopyrite etc. Higher As concentrations (5.47 μg/L – 26.6 μg/L) were also found in the samples of drinking water obtained from the water supply system of the towns from the Dojran Municipality which are located in the vicinity of thermal-mineral area of Mala Boshka – Toplec. It can be concluded that the presence of total As in the potable water in the Republic of Macedonia comes only from natural sources.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Distribution of the Total Arsenic Content in Drinking Water Obtained from Different Water Sources in the Republic of Macedonia
    AU  - Vesna Kostik
    AU  - Biljana Gjorgeska
    AU  - Bistra Angelovska
    AU  - Biljana Bauer
    AU  - Sofija Petkovska
    Y1  - 2014/07/20
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18
    T2  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    JF  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    JO  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    SP  - 146
    EP  - 155
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7293
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20140204.18
    AB  - The present study investigates the total arsenic (As) content in the samples of drinking water in the Republic of Macedonia, which is obtained from different water sources, such as: springs, surface accumulations, underground accumulations and drilled wells. From January 2013 to December 2013, a total of 780 samples obtained from the public water supply systems at 35 measurement points distributed throughout the whole territory of the Republic of Macedonia were analyzed on the total As content. A flow injection atomic absorption spectrometry (FIAS) was employed for the determination of the total As content after wet digestion of the samples with nitric acid (67%, W/V) and hydrogen peroxide (30%, V/V). The results of the study revealed that in 96.7% of the tested samples, As content was below established maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of 10 μg/L. As concentrations up to 26.4 μg/L were found in the samples of drinking water that comes from the water sources located in the vicinity of Kozhuf Mountain, which is due to the mineral composition of the mountain body rich with As containing minerals: lorandite, orpiment, realgar, arsenopyrite etc. Higher As concentrations (5.47 μg/L – 26.6 μg/L) were also found in the samples of drinking water obtained from the water supply system of the towns from the Dojran Municipality which are located in the vicinity of thermal-mineral area of Mala Boshka – Toplec. It can be concluded that the presence of total As in the potable water in the Republic of Macedonia comes only from natural sources.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Faculty of Medical Science, Department of Pharmacy, University “Goce Delchev”, Shtip, Republic of Macedonia

  • Faculty of Medical Science, Department of Pharmacy, University “Goce Delchev”, Shtip, Republic of Macedonia

  • Faculty of Medical Science, Department of Pharmacy, University “Goce Delchev”, Shtip, Republic of Macedonia

  • Faculty of Pharmacy, University of “Ss Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

  • Faculty of Medical Science, Department of Pharmacy, University “Goce Delchev”, Shtip, Republic of Macedonia

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