CONTAMINATION OF WATER BY ANTIMONY AND ARSENIC IN THE VICINITY OF ABANDONED DEPOSIT DUBRAVA IN SLOVAKIA

Environmental contamination by As and Sb as a result of previous mining activities at Sb mines is currently considered a significant problem in Slovakia. The aim of this paper is to describe and evaluate the abandoned Dubrava deposit, which is located on the north side of the Low Tatras. The abandoned Dubrava deposit was a very significant Sb deposit in Slovakia between the 1950s and 1980s. In the 1990s mining activities ceased here, but the problems with an increased amount of antimony have remained. This can lead to a possible contamination of air, ground and surface waters, soils and stream sediments and thus can pose a serious environmental threat to the area. Antimony belongs to harmful substances with damaging effects on the aquatic environment and significantly depends on the receiving stream and discharge area. Because of exceeding the limit values for antimony, drinking water problems are evident in those villages dependent on the water-supply network of Dubrava village. In this paper the results concerning quality of ground water in the specific area in the past as well as at present were evaluated placing focus on heavy metals and possible contamination of the study area.