ASSESSMENT OF THE SPATIO-TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF POLLUTION OF THE KRASNAYA RIVER IN THE KALININGRAD REGION

Abstract

Today, the Kaliningrad region has considerablr strategic significance for the Russian Federation. Due to the fact thatthe region is separated from the main part of the country, the quality of water resources is considered a substantial factor for its economicwell-being. One of the main tools in this area is hydrochemical and hydrological monitoring of surface watercourses. The purpose ofthe work is to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of the Krasnaya River pollution for 4 hydrological seasons in 2022-2023. Monitoringwas carried out during the autumn (10/15/22), winter (01/15/23), spring (04/23/23), and summer (07/19/23) hydrological seasons,during which water samples were taken at 4 hydraulic stations, and hydrometric characteristics were measured to calculate water flowrates. Water samples were examined for the relevant chemical indicators, on the basis of which integral indicators of water qualitywere determined. In turn, their spatio-temporal variability was determined and cartographically expressed. As a result of the study, thepaper provides information about the state of the watercourses and the influence of anthropogenic and natural factors on them. Thespecific combinatorial index of water pollution showed that the river is polluted from source to mouth. Intra-annual variability wasstudied using the WPI and has a similar spatial interpretation, water quality decreases from source to mouth with slight deviations.Temporal variability has developed in such a way that autumn is the most polluted season, while the remaining seasons have nearlyequal average water pollution indices. The main pollutants can be divided into systematic (petroleum products, iron, BOD5, COD) andnon-systematic (sulfate phosphates, ammonium, and low dissolved oxygen). A correlation was discovered between chemical pollutionand the quantitative characteristics of river flow, natural cycles of aquatic and shore vegetation, and vehicle washing. The emissionsof iron and petroleum products do not fit into any specific regular system: the sources of the former are groundwater, of the latter –anthropogenic activities. In general, the situation with water quality on the Krasnaya River is rated as satisfactory.