The project called "Košice – Biotic and Abiotic Components of the Environment" was developed in cooperation between the Luxembourg Ministry of Environment and Slovak Ministry of Environment in 1993 – 2000. This project also includes, but was not limited to, geochemical and environmental characteristic of natural waters, river sediments, winter precipitation and soil in the area of Košice.

Rain water and water of surface streams entering the region, industrial area of VSŽ, pollution from the residential districts of the city, but also from smaller villages in the region, intensive agricultural production in the hinterland of Košice and waste dumps and landfill are sources of pollution. The impact of the aforementioned producers of pollution is overlapped, both by types and areas in the overwhelming portion of the region, resulting in considerably polluted surface and underground waters save the north-eastern mountain part of the region. 

 What are the impacts of this ISSUE

The elements associated with air pollution, mainly Fe, Mn, Cl, forms of nitrogen and high alkalisation are mostly bound to soil, and they pass into water only in a lesser extent. The most extensive areal pollution is conditioned in the hinterland of Košice by agricultural production, and is manifested mainly by the contents of NO₃, SO₄ and NH₄ ions, that cause the fact that that smaller streams and dead surface water are polluted much more than the Hornád River. The contents of sulphates, manganese, NH₄ ions and increased contents of mercury were found in the VSŽ area.

 What is being done to fix the problems

Dionýz Štúr State Geological Institute, Werferova 1, Košice, www.qssr.sk

gske@dodo.sk, bodis@gssr.sk, rapant@gssr.sk

Geokonzult, a.s. Magnezitárska 7, Košice, www.napri.sk/geoconsult/