Water Quality for Dairy Cows in Transylvanian Farms

摘要

The aim of this study was the analysis of the quality of water consumed bydairy cows in Transylvanian farms. The water quality was determined based on indicatorparameters (pH, ammonia, sulphate, iron, chlorides, organic substances, overall hardness, totalnumber of germs, number of Coliform bacteria) and chemical parameters (nitrites, nitrates), bycollecting and analysing 140 water samples (from sources and from watering devices) in 20farms. The results were compared with the previsions of the Laws 458/2002 and 311/2004. Thedata was statistically processed using the SPSS version 17 software. The quality of the waterfrom the sources and from the watering devices varied, being higher in the sources (p<0.05). 5%of the samples from the sources had nitrates exceeding the recommended value and 10% hadnitrites. Within the indicator parameters, the following ones showed alterations: ammonia (15%from samples), iron (45% from samples), chlorides (5% from samples), overall hardness (45%from samples), organic substances (40% from samples), total number of germs (95% fromsamples), the number of Coliform bacteria and fecal coliforms (65% from samples). Nitritesexceeding the threshold limits were identified in three samples from the watering devices. Thefollowing indicator parameters showed divergences from the legal previsions: iron (65% fromsamples), chlorides (5% from samples), overall hardness (35% from samples), organicsubstances (70% from samples), total number of germs (95% from samples), the number ofColiform bacteria and fecal coliforms (90% from samples). In 95% of the studied farms thewater consumed by dairy cows is qualitatively unsuitable, being microbiologicallycontaminated.