In this master's thesis, we investigated the water quality of selected watercourses in the Municipality of Ljubljana that are not included in the regular national water quality monitoring program. Within the municipality, we selected sixteen measurement sites across fifteen watercourses, where we conducted monthly water quality analyses throughout the year 2023, from January to December. Among the selected watercourses were the Ljubljanica and the Sava, which are part of the national monitoring network and served as reference watercourses, as all other studied streams discharge into them. Water quality was assessed based on field and laboratory measurements of selected physico-chemical parameters, including temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, water hardness, dissolved oxygen concentration and oxygen saturation, as well as concentrations of ammonium, nitrite, phosphate, nitrate, sulfate, and chloride. In line with the primary working hypothesis, it was found that watercourses with a higher proportion of urban and agricultural land use in their catchments and the presence of potential pollution sources tend to be more contaminated. These streams frequently exceeded recommended and threshold values for the analyzed parameters, resulting in poorer water quality. The most polluted watercourses were those originating from the Ljubljana Marshes, specifically the stream at Rakova Jelša, Curnovec, and Prošca, while the least polluted were Rastučnik and Gostinca, which are subject to minimal anthropogenic pressures in their catchments.
|
