Water quality of the shkumbini river, Albania: evaluation by physicochemical parameters and nutrient content

Water is a vital natural resource that sustains both human life and the environment. Monitoring freshwater quality is essential to assess water conditions and ensure compliance with established quality standards. It is necessary to test the nutrient and physicochemical parameters of water against national and/or EU standards before it is used for various purposes, including drinking, domestic, agricultural, and industrial applications. This study focuses on the water quality assessment of the Shkumbini River, examining the distribution and levels of physicochemical parameters and nutrients along its course. The study was conducted in March 2022 through in-situ measurements of water quality parameters, combined with chemical analyses of nutrient content. The results indicate that geographical location, urbanization, human activities, and weather variations within the river catchment are primary factors influencing changes in water quality. Although the number of sampling sites was small (N=4), the measured results for all parameters followed a normal distribution (tested by the Anderson-Darling test, p > 0.05) and exhibited low variation (CV% < 25%), except for total suspended solids (TSS), which showed moderate variation (CV% = 49%). The water quality parameters were below the permitted limits, indicating good water quality in the Shkumbini River. This finding was further confirmed by the Water Quality Index (WQI), which classified all monitoring stations within a good water quality status (71 < WQI < 90). This status is likely associated with low water temperatures and rainy conditions in March. The outcomes demonstrate the reliability of the water quality parameters and the effectiveness of the employed model for assessing water quality.