NATURAL SCIENCES

Journal of fundamental
and
applied researches

The water quality of watercourses in the area of evaluationof the Astrakhan gas complex according to its hydrobiont condition

2012. №4, pp. 32-36

Andrianov Vladimir A. - D.Sc. (Geography), Professor, Astrakhan State University, 1 Shaumyan Sq., Astrakhan, 414000, Russian Federation, andrianov_v.a@mail.ru

Plakitin Vladimir A. - post-granduate student, Astrakhan State University, 1 Shaumyan Sq., Astrakhan, 414000, Russian Federation, estnauki2009@rambler.ru

The research is connected with the flood plain territory in the eastern section of the Volga River delta – an area of great importance to fish stock reproduction – near the Astrakhan gas complex. The main sources of pollution are gas emissions, registering at more than 100 thousand tons/year. The study lists the emission structure as follows: carbon oxide, 48,2 %; sulfur dioxide, 44 %; flying organic connections, 3,6 %; nitrogen oxide, 1,7 %; methane, 1,2 %;, and sulfur dust, 0,5 %. In this area, the volume of sewage reaches some 8 million m3 per year. Water ecosystems as opposed to the variety of pollutants and their transformation have been selected to make a reliable assessment quantity control of the toxicity of the water in the system. Specifically, the document has chosen hydrobiological monitoring as the method for measuring the toxicity. Separately, the article also presents the results of long-term researches into the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of phyto- and zooplankton in the Volga-Akhtuba flood-plain. The sampling was carried out from 2000 to 2010 in all seasons of the year, in both flowing and low-flowing waterways. During the research period, the phyto-plankton was presented in three main groups: Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta and Cyanophyta. Algae in the former two groups – Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta – were found to be the richest in the specific relation. Moreover, its number and biomass reached the maximum values (5625 million cages/m3, 3968 mg/m3 accordingly). In the study, 83 types of zooplankton were presented, including Rotatoria (48), Cladocera (28) and Copepoda (7). The evaluation noted maximum numbers (137–292 thousand pieces/m3) and biomass (227–1463 mg/m3) of phyto-plankton under high-water conditions. Rotatoria dominated during all seasons, reaching from 80–95 % of the total number. On the basis of the assessment, the researchers have characterized the phyto- and a zooplankton condition as natural in terms of general anthropogenous loading. Furthermore, they have estimated that the surface water quality is satisfactory enough to carry the plankton to a ?-mesosaprobic zone.

Key words: monitoring,gas emissions,pollutants,phyto-plankton,algae (Chlorophyta,Bacillariophyta,Cyanophyta),zooplankton,Cladocera,Copepoda,Rotatoria,saprobiont,Volga-Akhtuba flood-plain