Environmental Situation in the Lower Dnipro River Basin

Abstract

Abstract The paper summarizes Ukrainian findings and conclusions of the first Ukrainian-Canadian field study on the state of the environment in the Lower Dnipro River Basin. Three major issues were identified during the field study: accelerated eutrophication from municipal and agro-industrial discharges, industrial pollution, and radionucleide contamination of reservoir sediments. The Dnipropetrovsk-Zaporizhzhia-Kryviy Rih triangle has been recognized as an area which has been greatly affected by pollutants originating from many activities, including heavy industry, oil refining, metallurgy, petrochemistry, mining and power generation. The results of biological assays demonstrated that the Lower Dnipro River is endangered by toxic pollution originating from poorly treated or untreated effluent discharges. Of 58 industrial wastewater samples, taken at 31 outlets of the Dnripo and its tributaries, 69% contained various levels of toxic substances. Various degrees of toxicity were detected in 97% of 53 of the wastewater samples, taken at 37 sites. As a result, the majority of the tributaries sampled were of poor water quality and exceeded the statutory pollution standards. The diversity of phyto- and zooplankton was found to be severely reduced as was the native fish population in the Dnipro reservoirs. The maximum Cs-137 concentrations in bottom sediments of the Dnipro reservoirs varied from 31 to 520 Bq/kg, with the highest levels occurring in the reservoir closest to Chernobyl. The Ukranian government has identified the Lower Dnipro Basin as a top priority area for a strategic remedial action plan.