Analysis of the Impact of Ferronicel Industrial Activity on Drenica River Quality

Today, environmental water degradation all over the world comes about due to the growth of urban, industrial and agricultural activities. As a result of these discharges without any prior treatment, the quality of river waters in Kosovo has deteriorated greatly. On the basis of the research that has been done so far in the rivers of Kosovo, it was shown that Drenica is one of the rivers that are constantly exposed to the discharge of industrial waters. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to analyze the impact of water discharged from Feronikeli on the water quality of the Drenica River and the possibility of its protection. The realization of this study is focused on the evaluation of physico-chemical parameters of the water of the Drenica River, the content of heavy metals in the water, the analysis and comparison of the results obtained using the standard for the assessment of the ecological status of surface waters of Romania (GD 161). Laboratory assays were developed according to standard analysis methods (APHA). The results obtained, analyzed and compared with the values of the parameters according to the standard referred to in this research, confirm that the water of the Drenica River belongs to the class of water with “good quality” only in the source area, while in other flow stations river, especially in the third station S3 (Ferronikel industrial zone), water has “poor quality”, passing into the category of “very poor quality”. Therefore, in order to improve the current situation, it is recommended to apply the best environmental practices and proper management of industrial waste.