ASSESSMENT OF THE SURFACE WATER QUALITY USING WATER QUALITY INDEX (WQI). CASE STUDY: SOMEŞUL MIC RIVER, CLUJ NAPOCA, ROMANIA.

The paper investigates how the anthropogenic activities influence the Somesul Mic River water quality. A total of 194 water samples were collected from various sites along Somesul Mic River course, inside Cluj Napoca town, for seven months (November 2012 - May 2013). The physicochemical parameters such as: temperature, pH, redox potential (ORP), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), sodium (Na⁺), ammonium (NH₄⁺), potassium (K⁺), lithium (Li⁺), fluoride (F^-), chloride (Cl-), nitrite (NO₂^-), bromide (Br-), nitrate (NO₃^-), phosphate (PO₄^3-) and sulfate (SO₄^2-) were determined. In order to assess the Somesul Mic River water quality we had calculated the water quality index (WQI) which had the values between 25 (excellent) and 128 (unsuitable for drinking). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]