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This article assesses the surface water quality of the Strîmtori-Firiza reservoir by analyzing 14 physicochemical parameters among 9 metals in 18 sampling points. A series of possible reservoir pollutants were identified, depending on the nature of the pollutants and their loading. The novelty of the paper consists in the broad spectrum of investigations that includes spatial distribution cluster analysis and mathematical modeling. This article presents an innovative method of assessing the distributions of the metal loads as maps of metal distribution that are in accordance with the developed mathematical models that aim to present the pollutant distribution and the degree of correlation between the physicochemical indicators. The clusters were generated using Ward's and Nearest Neighbor methods that are less used in the studies concerning the analysis of water quality. Measures for maintaining the quality of the water reservoir are proposed considering the importance of the reservoir as source for drinking/industrial water.

ABSTRACT. The paper follows the spatial variability and seasonal evolution of the heavy metal content of the Firiza-Strîmtori Reservoir that is the main source of drinking water for Baia Mare city located in the northwestern part of Romania. Water samples were collected from 10 sampling points located along the median line of the lake at different depths (at surface, at 5 m, 10 m, 15 m and 20 m). The experiments were carried out in the winter, spring, summer and autumn of 2015. We determined the concentration -depth profiles, both for the heavy metals iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and also for sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). We determined the concentrations of heavy metals by atomic absorption spectrometry. We found that concentrations of heavy metals increase with depth. Generally, the concentrations of heavy metals are within the legal limits for the water used as drinking water sources. Mathematical models with high correlation coefficients were obtained in the case of heavy metal concentrations depending on depth and also for the seasonality of heavy metals upload.

The need to reduce pollution to levels that minimize adverse effects on human health involve the monitoring of air quality, including dry depositions and their metal content. The analysis of these parameters aims to investigate the air quality in Maramures County (with nonferrous mining activities) and in the Romanian - Ukraine transboundary area. The paper presents the experimental results obtained for dry atmospheric deposition of copper and zinc using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The samples were collected from four location/cities of Maramures County (Baia Mare, Sighetu Marmatiei, Viseu de Sus and Borsa) during May-October 2014. The highest average values of copper concentration in the dry depositions were found in Baia Mare (199.88 μg/g), that is the most important industrial centre in Maramures County, followed by Borsa (111.49 μg/g), that used to be a nonferrous mining centre. In Viseu de Sus and Sighetu Marmatiei the average concentrations of copper in the dry depositions were lower: 75.63 μg/g and 64.26 μg/g, respectively. Zn average concentrations in dry depositions were 6.4-12 times higher than Cu concentrations. In Viseu de Sus and Borsa relative high values of Pearson correlation coefficients between the logarithm of Cu and Zn content in the dry deposition were found (0.702 and 0.737, respectively) estimating that both pollutants in the ambient air have the same sources, probably the re-suspension of the dust from the tailing ponds. This study is implemented within the frame of ENPI Cross-border Cooperation Programme Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine 2007-2013, in the project Clean Air Management in the Romania-Ukraine Transboundary Area - (CLAMROUA), financed by the European Union

Traditional home-made plum and apple brandies were analysed aiming to assess the main physico-chemical characteristics including density, ethanol content, total acidity, total extract, total sulphur dioxide (SO2) and refractive indices. The major volatile compounds, such as, methanol, linear superior alcohols (propan-1-ol, butan-1-ol, butan-2-ol), branched superior alcohols (2-methylpropan-1-ol and 3-methylbutan-1-ol) and also ethyl acetate, acetaldehyde and acetal compounds, were assessed using gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The technology of incorporating fruit (cherries and pears) or wood (mulberry and poplar) in the brandy was presented along with the influence of their addition on the composition of the plum and apple brandies and on their physico-chemical characteristics. The changes in the composition of plum and apple brandies throughout 4 weeks of maturation process in the presence of wood or fruit, showed an increase in density, acidity and total extract and decrease in the concentration of ethanol, total sulphur dioxide (SO2) and acetaldehydes. The addition of mulberry and poplar wood in the brandies decreased the concentration of acetaldehyde. The addition of both fruits significantly increased the concentration of ethyl acetate.