Impact of ground water level oscillations on lead concentration in the Jaworzno area

This paper presents the results of lead content tests obtained during the underground and surface water monitoring in the area of municipal landfill in Jaworzno (Slaskie voivodship, Poland). The appearance of high lead contents in the specific monitoring points was related with environmental data, the geological structure of the area in question and geo-chemical properties of the water bearing Triassic rocks. The over tenfold increase of lead contents (in the range from 0,01 mg/dm3 to 0,1 mg/dm3) was correlated with the extremely low level of underground water. This paper takes into consideration the possibility of occurrence of naturally over-normative lead contents in underground water. Based upon the geo-chemical test results it was stated that the increased content of lead in underground water is probably related to oxidization of ore materials that appear naturally in Triassic dolomites and contain lead. These minerals, initially in the saturation zone, due to the lowering of underground water level were covered by the aeration zone and from being hardly soluble they migrated toward easily soluble. Such a sudden increase of lead contents until the standards for drinking water are exceeded may result in harmful effects for human health.