The Water quality of the Danube River and gravel pits in the Bratislava area (Slovakia)

Authors

• Rena´ta Fl ˇakova´ ¹
• Milan Seman ²
• Hana Drahovska´ ²
• Zlatica Zˇ enisˇova ¹
• Alexandra Dˇ uricˇkova ¹

¹ Department of Hydrogeology, Faculty of Natural Science, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynska Dolina, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia

² Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynska Dolina, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia

10.1007/s40071-014-0079-1

Abstract

The gravel pits are typical features of Bratislava. By their origin they are related to the river Danube. The water quality is determinated by various indicators, especially hydrochemical and microbiological ones. In the gravel pits water was determined for increase of chloride concentration and drop of sulphate concentration. Significant indicator of faecal contamination is the presence of enterococci. Faecal enterococci (E.faecalis, E.faecium, E.durans, E.hirae) dominates in the river Danube, and only two non-faecal enterococcal species, E.casseliflavus and E. seriolicida were found in the water of gravel pits with other enterococcal very related taxa: Lactococcus lactis and Aeromonas spp.

Keywords

• Bratislava
• Gravel pits
• Water quality
• Faecal contamination
• Enterococci

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