Ensuring the purity of water resources in the Don River basin

Abstract

Uncontrolled levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are prohibited for use under the POPs Convention, are the environmental concerns and, when applied on a large scale, will disrupt entire ecosystems. The identification of their impact on the purity of water resources is relevant and affects the planning of water supply for the population and the economy, the justification of water management measures and the redistribution of water resources within the basin. The aim of the research was to identify the content of hazardous pesticides in the surface waters of water bodies of the river basin Don. The data on the concentrations of α-, γ-hexochlorocyclohexane (HCCH), dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethane (DDE), trifluralin, parathion methyl, karbofos, and fosalon were analyzed in surface waters and bottom sediments. It is noted that organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are found in most places (up to ’100%) and in the number of samples in the bottom sediments of the surface waters of the Don River. It is significant that in the water of water bodies of the Don basin, including in the Don River, the detection frequency of the most active γ-HCCH is detected more often than α-HCCH. In the context of the projected increase in fresh water consumption in the Don River Basin, measures are being discussed to protect water resources from pollution.