On the issue of normalization of maximal permissible input of suspended matter into water bodies

Abstract

B Analysis of the currently used system of normalization of the suspended substances (SS) input into water bodies has shown that it is based only on fishery norms of maximal permissible concentration set in laboratory conditions for neutral SS. The detailed analysis has demonstrated that SS can contain organic and non-organic ingredients with not only mechanical impact on hydrocoles but with the impact upon hydro/chemical characteristics of water bodies due to transformation because of the inter-water body processes influence. Besides, they act as carriers of the adsorbed pollutants including high-toxic ones, as well as initiators of bottom sediments (sources of secondary pollution) formation. A number of authors who deal with ecosystem impact of suspended substances and consider chemically neutral SS have proposed regulation of discharge based on the pollutants’ impact on fish families according to the results of long-time observations of the fish behavior under the neutral suspended substances’ impact. Analysis of the current situation demonstrates that now there is practically no aggregated assessment of the suspended substances impact on the water bodies’ status. There is only differentiated estimation of the impact of only the one class of suspended substances ("chemically neutral") though it is quite inadequate in respect of the current situation. In fact, there is practically no well-grounded norms of suspended substances discharge to water bodies to take into account the whole spectrum of the SS impact upon water bodies.