Measurement of physical and chemical water parameters

Surface water temperature, turbidity, conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS),
oxidation reduction potential (ORP), concentration and saturation of dissolved oxygen (DO) were
determined in situ using a multiparameter water quality monitoring instrument SevenGo pro
(Mettler Toledo), which sensors were calibrated before every survey. For other parameters which
were measured afterwards in the laboratory, triplicate water samples were collected at each site
and their measurement was performed following Standard Methods for Examination of Water &
Wastewater (2012) and Hach water analysis handbook. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) was
measured by the potassium permanganate method following standard procedure HRN EN ISO
8467:2001. Titration with EDTA was used for T-Hardness (dTH) and HCl for C-Hardness (dKH)
determination, respectively. Total phpsphorus (TP) was analysed by colorimetric method
(ammonium molybdenum blue method/ascorbic acid method), followed by digestion with
concentrated nitric and sulfuric acid in order to concert all the phosphates into the otrhophosphate
form. Orthophosphate was measured by the similar analytical method as described for TP, but
without sample digestion. The concentration of total N was determined by the alkaline potassium
persulfate oxidation-UV spectrophotometric method. Total dissolved CO2 was analysed by
standard titration procedure using Na2CO3 and phenolphthalein. Surface water classification was
performed following the Proposed Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for the physical and
chemical parameters found in the Directive on water quality status of the Government of the
Republic of Croatia (2010) and accordingly, the water ecological status was identified as being
either of the following: high (I), good (II), moderate (III), poor (IV) or bad (V).