LIVE QUESTIONS IN THE THERMAL LOAD AND THERMAL POLLUTION OF HUNGARIAN RIVERS

Abstract

Power plants using fresh-water cooling introduce waste heat into rivers or pools with their heated up cooling water. This amount of heat exceeds the amount of electric energy produced. This thermal laad may cause changes in the water quality and eventually even thermal pollution. This study deals with the actual questions of thermal load and thermal pollution in Hungary. First it treats the elements and system of physical processes of thermal loading, then it points out the correlation between dhysical processes (hydrological-hydraulical) and water qual- ity (mainly hydrobiological aspects). The second part of the paper makes the reader acquaint- ed with measurements concerning the thermal load of significant power plants in Hungary along Danube and Tisza, then it draws conclusions about the increasing thermal load of the Paks Nuclear Power Station on Danube, then it makes a guess about necessary measures in the future for the protection of water quality. Finally, it shows the importance of a necessary colaboration between experts of energy production and water protection.