Basic HTML Version
2
International Scientific Journal
2. Material and methods
2.1 Description of sampled spa waters
Spas under study are located at the two ends of an
EW-axis of Hungary. The exact locations within
the Carpathian Basin are indicated in Fig.1.
2.1.1 Hévíz
Hévíz spa (in the vicinity of Lake Balaton) is the
largest surface warm water medicinal lake of Eu-
rope, showing weak radioactivity, containing Ca-
and Mg-bicarbonate and no dissolved oxygen (re-
ductive).
Figure 1. Locations of the studied medicinal spas (
■
) in the Carpathian Basin (based on the map of
the PANCARDI Project, 2010). 1: Hévíz, 2: Sárvár, 3: Hajdúnánás, 4: Hajdúszoboszló. (
●
indicate
capitals of the involved countries)
Colloidal sulphur can also be detected in its water
(possibly from carbonyl-sulphide). The 39-42 oC
water emerging from a deep spring hall is filtered
by inorganic sediment and a peat-bed. The lake is
supplied by thermal-karstic type of water, but not
rising directly from the Triassic dolomite rather
from the Pannonian conglomerate and sandstone.
The actual temperature of water at the bathing
zone fluctuates seasonally. Hévíz has been the
most popular health resort in the rest of Hungary
since the WWI.
2.1.2 Sárvár
The 43 oC water is of alkali-bicarbonate and
sodium-chloride type with some iodide and bro-
mide.
The wells are located in the NW-
Transdanubian region tapping a Miocene-aged
biogenic limestone layer.
2.1.3 Hajdúszoboszló
The first well was drilled in the 1920’s searching
for hydrocarbons. The upper-pannonian aquifer
yields 73-78 oC hot water rich in minerals: alkali-
chloride and bicarbonates, iodide, bromide and
fluoride. TDS of the wells varies in the range of
5300-5900 mg/L. This spa water is one of the first
recognized medicinal waters in Hungary.
2.1.4 Hajdúnánás
This healing spa is one of the youngest ones. Its
sodium-chloride type, iodidated–bromidated min-
eral water was declared as medicinal water only in
1989. The 1019 m deep well taps Pliocene-upper
pannonian layers and produces 67 oC hot water of
7981 mg/L TDS.
2.2 Sample preparation and GC analysis
All samples were taken from the particular un-
treated spa water and their organic extracts were
prepared using a patented procedure involving
isolation of organics on macroreticular adsorbent
resins (Varga et al., 1998). For the gas chromato-