Influence of slurry on organic matter fluctuation in groundwater

Abstract

The paper analyses the data on the change of the groundwater organic matter content in the observed boreholes, equiped in light soils fertilized with the slurry from pig-breeding enterprise. The investigations aimed to determine the influence of the fields fertilized with the slurry from pig-breeding enterprise on the migration of organic matter in the groundwater. The work involved natural investigations, analysis of the water samples was carried out following the Unified Water Quality Research methods, approved by ministry of Environment. The investigations established that meteorological conditions and groundwater level had some influence on water level fluctuation in the boreholes. The higher the air temperature and the lower the precipitation, the lower is the groundwater level in the boreholes. The fluctuations of the groundwater level in the boreholes 2 and 3 were bigger, because the groundwater level in these boreholes is closer to the soil surface. Fluctuation of water levels influenced concentrations of organic matter: the closer water level is to the soil surface, the higher COD and TOD concentrations were observed. The groundwater flow direction had the influence on the higher hard oxidised organic matter content in the boreholes 1 and 4, because in these boreholes the groundwater lies deeper than in the boreholes 2 and 3. The investigations established that the fields fertilized with slurry had insignificant influence on the groundwater quality: the dominant sectional water composition stayed the same as in the water that is naturally emerging in the nature.