ВЗАИМОСВЯЗЬ ХИМИЧЕСКОГО СОСТАВА И УРОВНЯ ЗАГРЯЗНЕННОСТИ РЕЧНЫХ ВОД И ДОННЫХ ОТЛОЖЕНИЙ РЕК БАССЕЙНА СЕВЕРСКОГО ДОНЦА (В ПРЕДЕЛАХ РОСТОВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ)

Abstract

The article considers the chemical composition features and pollution levels of river waters and sediments in the Seversky Donets River basin. The river waters pollution degree has been assessed using the specific combinatorial index of water pollution, and the river sediments pollution level has been evaluated using the conventional total pollution index and the integral contamination index of river sediments proposed by the authors. In order to compare the chemical compositions of the studied media we have used the concentration coefficients of elements in river waters and sediments based on the corresponding clarks. The physical and chemical features of the elements which contents differ significantly in the studied media have been analyzed in detail: namely manganese, copper, nickel, and lead. Physical and geographical and other factors that influence the distribution of elements within the river water – river sediments system in the study area have also been considered. It has been revealed that the level river sediments pollution in the Seversky Donets River basin is determined by elevated contents of nickel and lead. These elements are transferred mainly in a suspended form. It is demonstrated that the river waters pollution level depends on a number of macro- and microcomponents, and manganese and copper compounds make a significant contribution. It is concluded that the discrepancy between the levels of river sediments contamination and the river water pollution in the Seversky Donets River basin is mainly caused by the self-purification processes in river sediments.