WATER QUALITY INDICATORS IN MINERAL SPRINGS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURYATIA

Drinking mineral water is often used for therapeutic purposes, especially for treatment of the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, bile and urinary tract disorders. Mineral healing water is used for external (mineral baths) or internal use (inhalation, irrigation, douching, enema, drinking). At resorts, patients drink mineral water directly from springs. Bottling water ensures the preservation of the original composition and medicinal properties of samples. The authors evaluated the quality of mineral water from hard-to-reach areas of the Shumak Reserve, the Republic of Buryatia. Total water mineralization of samples was in the range 1.1 - 1.3 g/dm3, which indicates that Buriatia spring water belongs to natural-mineral table water group; It was established that the studied mineral water belongs to the hydro-carbonate-magnesium-calcium siliceous hydrochemical group (НСО3 85, Ca2+ 50-60, Mg2+ 30-50 equiv.%) with pH from 6.4 to 8.8. Among the balneologically active components of all water samples, silicon was in the range of 51.7 - 124.0 mg/dm3. The highest value was noted in spring No. 4 (“diabetes”) 124.0 ± 5.0 mg/dm3. Besides elevated levels of Si, all sprigs contained radioactive gas radon in concentrations between 33 to 1003 Bq/dm3. The highest radon content was found in spring No. 2: 1003 ± 119 Bq/dm3. This is higher than the threshold value of the content of a balneologically significant factor - 185 Bq/dm3 (5 nCi/dm3). Accordingly, water of spring No. 2, should be classified as low radon water and designed for external use.