CO₂ Emission to the Atmosphere from Carbonate Waters: The Study Case of the Lublin Upland and Roztocze Regions

The concentration of carbon dioxide dissolved in water (CO_2(aq)) was measured in consecutive phases of the hydrological cycle. Its potentially possible degassing from groundwaters to the atmosphere was also assessed. The research was conducted in the area of occurrence of carbonate rocks of the Lublin Upland and Roztocze (SE Poland). The results of the measurements of CO_2(aq) concentration varied as follows (min-max/mean): precipitation waters < 1-3/2.6 mg · dm⁻³, soil waters 3-50/14.2 mg · dm⁻³, groundwaters 10-70/30.3 mg · dm⁻³, river waters < 1-21/7.6 mg · dm⁻³. The measure of degassing of carbon dioxide from groundwaters to the atmosphere was a decrease in CO_2(aq) concentration in fluvial outflow. Based on the value of groundwater outflow from the Lublin Upland and Roztocze, the annual carbon dioxide emission from waters to the atmosphere was calculated at a level of 50 thousand Mg · year⁻¹. This value constitutes approximately 1% of anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide originating from environmentally harmful industrial plants in the Lublin province.