REV.CHIM.(Bucharest)♦69♦No. 5 ♦2018 http://www.revistadechimie.ro 1037 Sulphurous spring waters are used as therapeutic and preventive remedies for a various disorders such as those of the locomotor system (e.g. rheumatism [1-2], arthritis [3-4], post-traumatic [2]), respiratory tract [5-6], gynecological apparatus [7-8] and peripheral neurological system (e.g. paresis, paraesthesia, polyneuropathies) [9- 10]. In skin disorders, they are indicated in psoriasis [11- 12], parapsoriazis [13], and other skin thickened disorders, which have a keratolytic effect [1, 14], which helps to remove thick and excess of skin [1]. Today, the major dermatologic diseases (i.e. psoriasis and atopic dermatitis) are frequently treated by balneotherapy or spa therapy. Other medical studies [15-17] shown that these mineral waters have antioxidant properties in oral treatment. The mechanisms through which sulphurous waters exert beneficial effects on the human body, in therapeutic rheumatic treatment [16] are: the warmth of the bath activates circulation at the level of diseased tissues and helps to their resorption and skin exciting, which producing the antibodies needed to combat the infectious disorder for certain types of rheumatism; the sulphur assimilated in body increases the basal metabolism with 40%, causes vasodilatation in the central cutaneous tissue, induces a decrease of tension values, and increases the number of red blood cell and hemoglobin quantity. Among the physico-dynamic components is also mentioned the production of abundant sweating, the decrease of the muscles excitability, the acceleration of the exudation resorption and the provocation of a sedative action that explains the relieving of the pain. The resorbed sulphur occurs in the general metabolism of the human body, which explains the sugar decrease at diabetics [18], the remaking of the reserves in chondroitin sulphuric acid at articular cartilage level of the rheumatics. Mineral waters were classiûed in many ways according to their physical and chemical elements, such as temperature, chemical composition, molecular concentration, and mechanisms of therapeutic action. In Romania, one of the most well-known balneal resorts is Pucioasa -Vulcana Bai area from Dambovita County. In Pucioasa Resort, the sulphurous cold waters are originated in sedimentary rocks (rich in sulphates such as gypsum, and sulphides) of the hillsides behind the mineral springs. Chemical Composition Assessment of Sulphurous Waters OVIDIU MURARESCU 1 , GICA PEHOIU 1 *, CRISTIANA RADULESCU 2,3 *, IOANA DANIELA DULAMA 3 *, SOFIA TEODORESCU 3 , RALUCA MARIA STIRBESCU 3 , GEORGE MURATOREANU 1 1 Valahia University of Targoviste, Faculty of Humanities, 35 Lt. STancu Ion Str.,130105 Targoviste, Romania 2 Valahia University of Targoviste, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, 12 Carol I Blvd., 30024 Targoviste, Romania 3 Valahia University of Targoviste, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Science and Technology, 35 Sinaia Alley, 130004 Targoviste, Romania The study aims to assess the chemical composition of sulphurous spring waters collected from Pucioasa – Vulcana Bai balneotherapeutical area, Dambovita County. The sampling were achieved from active and preserved sulphurous sources (i.e. five springs), during the summer period of the year 2016. The content of nine metals (i.e. Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb) in water samples was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The relationships between physicochemical parameters (i.e. pH, conductivity, TDS, salinity, total hardness and dissolved oxygen) and metal concentrations were investigated, as well. Keywords: sulphurous waters, ICP-MS, chemical composition * email: gpehoiu@yahoo.com, radulescucristiana@yahoo.com; dulama_id@yahoo.com The first data on the chemical composition of sulphurous waters in this area are dated from the 1800s. For the first time, it was mentioned about therapeutic effect of these waters on several diseases, such as: pulmonary congestion, dermatitis, hemorrhoids, and rheumatic disorders. Today, the Pucioasa Resort has five springs: the spring 1, which feeds the treatment area, has sulphurous, chlorinated, calcic, sodic, and hypotonic water with a total mineralization 3.4 g/L; springs 2, 3 and 4 have sulphurous, sulphated, chlorinated, calcic, sodic, hypotonic, and carbonated waters, with total mineralization of 2.20 g/L, being preserved; spring 5 contains a highly concentrated mineral water with a total mineralization of 122.3 g/L which was preserved, as well. Also, the p H of sulphurous mineral waters is essential and responsible for its therapeutic effects. In the same therapeutic area is found other four springs (Vulcana Bai, Dambovita County) which have reach a higher content in sulphur and iodine. The most known springs are Carol Spring and Ovesa Spring. First source has iodinated water and is mainly recommended for external rheumatism, gynecological and scrophalosis. The Ovesa Spring contains non-thermal water used in the gastric treatment, biliary and renal lithiasis, and chronic bronchitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition and several physicochemical indicators of sulphurous waters collected from five springs of Pucioasa - Vulcana Bai area in order to obtain information about the therapeutically properties of active and preserved sources, used in treatment of different diseases. The content of nine metals (i.e. Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb) from spring water samples, collected in the summer of 2016 was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The physicochemical indicators (i.e. p H, conductivity, TDS, salinity, dissolved oxygen, hardness, and several ions) were analyzed as well. Experimental part Site description and sampling The sampling was carried out between June and August 2016, in five mineral springs of Pucioasa-Vulcana Bai therapeutic area from Dambovita County, Romania (table 1).