Sanitary-bacteriological monitoring of water quality in Lake Baikal – from single/one-off studies to systematic annual expeditions

Abstract

The analysis of sanitary-bacteriological assessment of water quality in the littoral and pelagic zones of Lake Baikal for the whole period of microbiological studies of the ecosystem was carried out. It was established that such studies were single in the last century and only from the end of the century they began to be carried out all over the lake, and now they are carried out annually in the spring, summer and autumn periods over the whole water area of Lake Baikal and in the estuaries of large tributaries. The water quality of the lake was assessed and unfavourable areas in the littoral zone were identified for exceeding SanPiN standards. In 2021-2023, wastewater samples were taken after the treatment facilities in the Slyudyanka and Severobaikalsk towns, low efficiency of disinfection and inflow of opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria into Lake Baikal (bacterial pollution) were revealed. The scheme and periodicity of sanitary-bacteriological monitoring of the Lake Baikal ecosystem is proposed.