February 14, 2025 2 min to read

Being part of a bigger whole

Sampling of mineral waters of the Baraolt Mountains

Fieldwork and subsequent laboratory data collection – the two most beautiful pillars of research activity. The Baraolt Mountains, like the wider region, contain a valuable treasure: they are very rich in mineral water springs, which are sometimes accompanied by carbon dioxide emissions.

These are used and applied by the locals in everyday life, but their role in local remedies is also significant. Some of the springs are built up with roofs protecting those standing there from the rain and sun, and even taps have been installed for more convenient and economical water use, especially where water is collected in a reservoir before reaching the surface. In many cases, mofettas have been built in place of the carbon dioxide emission, which have played an important role in the traditional treatment of cardiovascular diseases for generations. In addition, due to their high mineral content, low-pH and gas-water-rock interactions, these waters can not only influence people’s lives and health, but also affect the environment and the ecosystems that have developed around them, so their sampling and examination significantly helps to create a more comprehensive picture, which plays an important role in a more accurate characterization of the region. This represents exciting and attractive research opportunities for several scientific fields, and the data from the collected samples will form part of a larger database that includes more data about the region.

As a plant biologist, my primary focus has been on studying plant life. The current work, although it is aimed at a slightly different discipline, is still interesting, as the water samples can shed light on a lot of environmental conditions, which can form the basis for further research on how different plants interact with the mineral waters or the CO2 degassing areas. Meaning: great topic – great places – great studies with great people!

Field sampling is also a great hiking opportunity, although it can be really heavy to carry a bag full of water samples at the end – we sampled 15 springs in one day, visiting only a small part of the mountain range. It was really fun to observe the local flora and fauna along the way, for example, we encountered exciting, terrestrial, parasitic orchids (Neottia nidus-avis) and harmless grass snakes (Natrix natrix) too.

It was hot, which made its effects felt in the forests and meadows, since it is a medium-altitude mountain range, so the heat made the work difficult in the sunny parts, and in the cool, shady places we were always watching for bears with one eye, coming for a cooling sip of spring water, but that is part of the adventure!