DEGRADATION OF THE MOKRA SMALL RIVER HYDROECOSYSTEM UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURE, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND MILITARY OPERATIONS

Abstract

The study is based on the analysis of surface water monitoring data for 2021–2025, encompassing 12 physicochemical, organic, and biogenic parameters. The methodological approach involves timeseries analysis to identify degradation trends, calculation of maximum permissible concentration (MPC) exceedances, and correlation analysis to establish links between organic pollution and the oxygen regime. Data were sourced from the Zaporizhzhia Regional Center for Hydrometeorology and the State Environmental Inspection of the Southern District. This research provides the first assessment of the Kakhovka HPP dam destruction’s impact on a small river’s hydrochemical state, viewed through the lens of base level of erosion shifts and intensified secondary nitrogen pollution due to sediment resuspension. The study substantiates the methodological insufficiency of conventional bathymetric sampling for monitoring heavy petroleum products (fuel oil) and demonstrates the necessity of transitioning to automated systems for continuous monitoring of electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen. High-mineralization industrial discharges are identified as the primary degradation factor, effectively transforming the river into an industrial collector. The river is classified as Quality Class V (“very poor”), posing significant epidemiological and toxicological risks. Salinity and nitrogen compound levels exceed hygienic standards by 2–4 times; amid the declining water levels of the Dnieper, the Mokra Moskovka has become a major source of chronic pollution for Ukraine’s primary waterway. The study recommends an urgent hydrochemical audit of industrial enterprises within the basin and the development of channel remediation projects targeting petroleum products. These findings provide a framework for calculating state environmental damages resulting from acts of ecocide.