ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF SURFACE WATERS OF THE ZGAR RIVER BASIN

Abstract

The article presents an ecological assessment of the quality of surface waters in the 1170 km2 Zgar River basin, which belongs to the 65.1 thousand km2 Southern Bug River basin (11.1% of the territory of Ukraine), which includes Khmelnytsky and Vinnytsia regions, and is one of the important sites of the Ecological and Emerald Network. The ecological assessment of the surface waters of the Zgar River basin was established on the basis of field studies and basic statistical data of the Southern Bug River Basin Water Resources Management. The sources of anthropogenic pressure on the quality of surface waters in the Zgar River basin were identified, and the types and sources of water pollution in the river basin were identified. The assessment of the ecological state was carried out on the basis of the studied chemical parameters of water in the gauges spatially located along the length of the Zgar River basin. The dynamics of the main hydrochemical indicators in the Zgar River basin during 2021-2023 was analyzed. The water pollution index, modified water pollution index, water pollution coefficient were established and a qualitative assessment of the degree of pollution was determined using the appropriate formulas, taking into account certain criteria for assessing the quality of surface water. An ecological and comparative analysis of the concentrations of certain indicators of surface water quality in the selected streams was carried out. The water quality of the Zgar River basin was assessed by nineteen indicators. The influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the formation of the chemical composition and quality of surface waters in the Zgar River basin was studied. The established water quality according to two indicators of the COI and the pollution coefficient χ for a three-year period indicates a negative anthropogenic impact on the Zgar River basin. This contributes to the deterioration of its ecological state.