S14 Pollution of the river Vardar heavy metals

Temelkoska Suzana

Cekova Blagica

Cekova Lence

As an environmental medium, earth’s water has an essential role in the creation and sustainability of life on Earth. The water is practically a source of Life. It is known that the hydrosphere was essential in the creation of biosphere. For millions of years, the water circulates through all aggregate states and provides for other life sustaining cycles. On the other hand, the water can be unpredictable and cause significant damage to all that has previously been created. This behavior can be caused by natural processes, but also can be result of uncontrolled human activities. Humans tend to consider themselves as the center of nature and fail to recognize that uncontrolled development can put in question the very existence of the civilization. Water pollutants are released from settlements (communal wastewater), industry (heavy metals, organic pollutants), mining (heavy metals, various minerals), oil industry, agriculture (nitrates, heavy metals) etc.

Increased water pollution with heavy metals corresponds to the emergence of the industrial revolution. It is the development of heavy metals industry that continually increases the emission of heavy metals, which remains as one of the biggest pollutants of receiving waters. In the frames of this work, the qualitative results of the heavy metals presence will be examined (Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn).

Keywords: pollution, heavy metals, wastewater