Assessment of chemical pollution of small rivers in the Minsk suburban area
Abstract
An assessment of chemical pollution of five small rivers in the Minsk suburban area, where built reservoirs for recreation by the city’s population, is presented. The pollution factors caused by water flow in the rivers and the ecological state of their catchment areas are identified.
The main channels for pollutant influx into the rivers are identified, primarily through surface runoff, due to the predominance of elevated landscapes in the landscape structure of the respective basins. Features of the spatial organization of land use and the location of man-made objects-sources of water pollution-within the basins and in coastal areas are identified.
The intensity and composition of the pollution were assessed based on the authors' own hydrochemical field studies conducted between 2009 and 2024. These data reflect the primary contributions of biogenic substances: nitrites, ammonium nitrogen, and phosphate phosphorus, with a frequency of 33% to 100% for various rivers. They also show that for most of them, nitrite and ammonium nitrogen concentrations exceed average annual values. The relationship between pollution and water flow, economic use of the basins, and the distribution of forests within them is established.
Priority measures to reduce pollution in the rivers under consideration are presented, including the development and implementation of special basin management plans for each river, with a primary focus on reducing the polluting impact of agricultural and residential lands.
About the Authors
M. I. Struk
Institute of Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus
Mikhail I. Struk – Ph. D. (Geography), Leading Researcher
10, F. Skoriny Str., 220114, Minsk
S. G. Zhivnach
Institute of Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus
Svetlana G. Zhivnach – Senior Researcher
10, F. Skoriny Str., 220114, Minsk
G. M. Bokaya
Institute of Nature Management of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus
Galina M. Bokaya – Researcher
10, F. Skoriny Str., 220114, Minsk
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Review
For citations:
Struk M.I., Zhivnach S.G., Bokaya G.M. Assessment of chemical pollution of small rivers in the Minsk suburban area. Nature Management. 2025;(2):36-45. (In Russ.)
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