The paper presents the results of intensive agricultural practices on the quality of depth waters found frequently as drinking water in rural wells.In areas with intensive nitrogen fertilization and livestock breeding, groundwater becomes overloaded with nitrates. In this research, nitrate contamination generated by intensive agricultural technologies as well as nitric overload due to intensive animal breeding were studied on groundwater samples.The upper and deep layers of groundwater in several locations of Banat County, well known for the industrial livestock breeding and intensive agricultural practices, were collected and analyzed for nitrates, using the GRIESS method. Nitrates from water samples were determined by using standard methods, as atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The water samples were taken from wells and drillings located in rural regions of Banat County, Jimbolia, Bobda, Dinias, Folea Tormac, Nitchidorf and Margina, where intensive agricultural activities were performed.The nitrate content of upper and deep layers groundwater from rural wells was established. In several analyzed wellwater samples from Banat County the upper layer and average depth groundwater proved frequently to be compromised due to intensive nitrogen fertilization and industrial animal breeding, exceeding the nitrate content in drinking water of 50 mg nitrate/ l water. The usefulness of the paper consists in preventing the consumer’s nitric contamination by drinking water from rural wells.The importance of the obtained results lies in informing the consumers about the nitrate content in depth water resources in areas of intensive fertilization with mineral nitrogen or industrial animal breeding.In order to avoid in time the appearance of nitrate-induced serious consequences on human health, FAO and WHO have established the daily acceptable intake of nitrate to 3,65 mg nitrate/kg body mass, meaning also 50 mg nitrate/ l in drinking water. Exceeding the toxicity limit mentioned above, may induce serious illness like methaemoglobinaemia and cancer. rural wells, groundwater, nitrate content, nitric overload, industrial animal breeding

rural wells, groundwater, nitrate content, nitric overload, industrial animal breeding

environmental engineering

Presentation: poster