Land use influence on water pollution: the research of Šalcia river catchment

Abstract

This paper examines Šalcia river water pollution, there were selected 24 water sampling points where was detected concentration of these nutrients: ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, pH, and total phosphorus. Samples were collected starting from the source of the river, to the mouth of the river, near the Merkys. Points selected according to the land use (catchment is dominated by forests (52,7%) that have great economic value and nature protection, lower part of the catchment area takes arable land (42,4%)) and affluents so that the analysis of the results obtained during the experimental helped to determine factors leading to the maximum river water pollution. According to the data obtained there was found ecological status of the river.