Environmental assessment of water quality in various lakes of the Volyn region, which is intensively used in recreation

Abstract

Introduction. Assessment of the ecological status of lakes is important for their conservation and protection. Many lakes are intensively used in recreation in Volyn Region. The development of the resort and recreational facilities requires significant additional volumes of fresh water to maintain the depth of the reservoirs in the bathing area, certain sanitary and temperature regimes of the reservoirs. The limiting factors are the sanitary and hygienic indicators of water. First and foremost, high quality of water should be provided for the organization of contact types of recreation (bathing, diving, water skiing, etc.). The purpose of article. The purpose of the article is ecological assessment of water quality in various lakes of Volyn Region, which are most intensively used in recreation. Methods. Research methods are expeditionary, methods of mathematical statistics and environmental assessment of water quality, which were carried out in accordance with the methodology for assessing the quality of surface water in the respective categories. During the preparation of the article, materials from their own expeditionary studies of the natural-economic state of the lakes were used, as well as the results of chemical analysis of the water composition conducted by the Water and Soil Monitoring Laboratory of the Regional Water Resources Office in Volyn Region and the Complex Laboratory for Observation of the Environmental Environmental Center. Results. The analysis of the qualitative indicators of the lakes Svitiaz, Velyke Zgoranske and Somyn showed the high quality of water in the lakes. For the period of 2015–2019, water quality was classified as „good” class II, by degree of cleanliness „clean”, by category as „very good”, by degree of cleanliness „clean” on all lakes. The value of IE for the Lake Velyke Zgoranske varied in the range of 1.81–2.44, in the range of 1.66–2.07 for the Lake Svitiaz, and in the range of 2.56–2.96 for the Lake Somyn. Index І2 (ecological and sanitary indicators) has the most influence on the magnitude of the ecological index of water quality. The scientific novelty lies in establishing block and integral indexes of ecological assessment of water quality, classes and categories of water quality of the most recreationally-developed lakes of Volyn Region, as well as in assessment of the dynamics of indicators of water quality of lakes during the years of 2015–19. Practical significance is defined with the opportunity of development of a set of measures for the rational use and protection of lakes.