Natural and anthropogenic factors of the formation of groundwater resources and their quality of Belarus

This article contains the analysis of the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing the formation of groundwater resources and their quality in Belarus and the associated geoecological risks. The most significant natural factors in the formation of groundwater resources include the features of the geological structure and relief, climatic and hydrological conditions. In Belarus, the amount of natural renewable fresh groundwater resources is 15.9 km³/year (43.56 million m³/day). The total groundwater extraction is currently at the level of 2.4–2.5 million m³/day. This indicates a high supply of fresh groundwater resources both for the current period and for the long term. In recent decades, anthropogenic factors have increasingly influenced the formation of groundwater resources, specifically groundwater extraction from group and individual wells, quarry dewatering and drainage reclamation. It has been shown that intensive groundwater exploitation leads to changes in the water balance structure over large areas, the formation of large depressions up to 70 km across with groundwater levels dropping to 40–60 m in their central parts.

The relationship between natural and anthropogenic factors determining groundwater quality in Belarus is characterized. Natural factors ensure the formation of a thick layer (averaging 250–350 m) of fresh groundwater with relatively low mineralization – from 15–100 to 300–400 mg/dm³. Anthropogenic factors (industrial, municipal, agricultural, transport, radiation pollution, drainage reclamation, etc.) lead to significant changes in the chemical composition of groundwater, sometimes even deep-lying one. It has been shown that the main macrocomponents of anthropogenic groundwater pollution are Cl^–, NO₃^- , SO₄^2- , Na⁺, K⁺ and etc. ions.

1. Pashkevich V. I., Kukharik E. A., Kukharik A. M. Gidrogeologicheskie faktory, opredelyayushchie komfortnost’ sredy obitaniya cheloveka na territorii Tsentral’noi Belarusi [Hydrogeological factors determining the comfort of the human habitat in the territory of Central Belarus]. Prirodopol’zovanie = Nature Management, 2025, no. 1, pp. 131–137. DOI: 10.47612/2079-3928-2025-1-131-137. (in Russian)

2. Pashkevich V., Vasneva O. Gidromineral’nye resursy [Hydromineral resources]. Nauka i innovatsii = Science and Innovations, 2025, no. 3 (264), pp. 11–15. (in Russian)

3. Khomich P. Z., Gudak S. P., Sinichka A. M. (eds.) [et al.] Poleznye iskopaemye Belarusi: k 75-letiyu BelNIGRI [Minerals of Belarus: to the 75th anniversary of BelNIGRI]. Minsk, Adukatsyya і vykhavanne Publ., 2002. 528 p. (in Russian)

4. Gosudarstvennyi vodnyi kadastr. Vodnye resursy, ikh ispol’zovanie i kachestvo vod (za 2016 god) [State Water Cadastre. Water Resources, Their Use and Water Quality (for 2016)]. – Minsk, 2017. – 172 p. (in Russian)

5. Gosudarstvennyi vodnyi kadastr. Vodnye resursy, ikh ispol’zovanie i kachestvo vod (za 2000 god) [State Water Cadastre. Water Resources, Their Use and Water Quality (for 2000)]. – Minsk, 2001. – 113 p. (in Russian)

6. Gosudarstvennyi vodnyi kadastr. Vodnye resursy, ikh ispol’zovanie i kachestvo vod (za 2007 god) [State Water Cadastre. Water Resources, Their Use and Water Quality (for 2007)]. – Minsk, 2008. – 92 p. (in Russian)

7. Gavich I. K., Kovalevskii V. S., Yazvin L. S. [et al.] Osnovy gidrogeologii. Gidrogeodinamika [Fundamentals of Hydrogeology. Hydrogeodynamics]. Novosibirsk, Nauka Publ., 1983, 242 p. (in Russian)

8. Kozlov M. F. Gidrogeologiya Pripyatskogo Poles’ya: v 2 t. [Hydrogeology of the Pripyat Polesie: in 2 vol.]. Minsk, Nauka i Tekhnika Publ., 1977, vol. II, 272 p. (in Russian)

9. Kozlov M. F., Shilinskaya Ya. M. Kolichestvennaya otsenka pitaniya gruntovykh vod v severnoi chasti Pripyatskogo Poles’ya [Quantitative assessment of groundwater recharge in the northern part of the Pripyat Polesie]. Minsk, Nauka i Tekhnika Publ., 1972, 96 p. (in Russian)

10. Kudelsky A. V., Grechko A. M., Krivetskaya T. D., Pashkevich V. I. Gidrogeologicheskaya ekspertiza shirokomasshtabnykh osushitel'nykh melioratsii Belorusskogo Poles’ya [Hydrogeological examination of large-scale drainage melioration of the Belarusian Polesie]. Minsk, Navuka i Tekhnika Publ., 1993, 111 p. (in Russian)

11. Shestakov V. M., Fidelli I. F., Zektser I. S. [et al.] Gidrogeologiya [Hydrogeology]. Moscow, MGU Publ., 1984, 315 p. (in Russian)

12. Zhoglo V. G. Sistema chislennykh geofil’tratsionnykh modelei verkhnego etazha gidrolitosfery yugo-vostoka Respubliki Belarus’ [System of numerical geofiltration models of the upper level of the hydrolithosphere of the south-east part of the Republic of Belarus]. Minsk, In-t geol. nauk NAN Belarusi Publ., 2001, 177 p. (in Russian)

13. Kudelsky A. V., Pashkevich V. I., Yasoveev M. G. Podzemnye vody Belarusi [Groundwater of Belarus]. Minsk, In-t geol. nauk NAN Belarusi, 1998, 260 p. (in Russian)

14. Grechko A. M. Zakonomernosti rezhima podzemnykh vod yugo-vostochnoi chasti Belorusskogo Poles’ya v usloviyakh osushitel’noi melioratsii. Avtoref. dis. kand. geol.-mineral. nauk [Regularities of the groundwater regime in the south-eastern part of the Belarusian Polesie under drainage melioration conditions. Abstract Ph.D geol.-mineral. sci.]. Minsk, 1987, 20 p. (in Russian)

15. Kudelsky A. V., Pashkevich V. I. Regional’naya gidrogeologiya i geokhimiya podzemnykh vod Belarusi [Regional hydrogeology and geochemistry of groundwater in Belarus]. Minsk, Belaruskaya Navuka Publ., 2014. 217 p. (in Russian)

16. Vody podzemnye, klassifikatsiya po khimicheskomu sostavu i temperature. Otraslevoi standart. Izdanie ofitsial’noe (OST 41-05-263-86, vved. 12.05.1986) [Groundwater, classification by chemical composition and temperature. Industry standard. Official publication (OST 41-05-263-86, introduced 12.05.1986)]. Moscow, VSEGINGEO Publ., 1986, 12 p. (in Russian)

17. On approval of hygiene standards (“Drinking Water Safety Indicators”, pp. 187–225) [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://etalonline.by/document/?regnum=c22100037 (date of access: 29.10.2025).

18. Pashkevich V. I. Usloviya formirovaniya nitratnogo zagryazneniya gruntovykh vod Belarusi [Conditions of formation of groundwater nitrate pollution in Belarus]. Prirodopol’zovanie i okhrana okruzhayushchei sredy – 2000. Sbornik statei [Nature management and environmental protection – 2000. Collection of articles]. Minsk, IPIPRE NAN Belarusi Publ., 2000, pp. 30–31. (in Russian)

19. Pashkevich V. I. Gidrogeokhimicheskoe raznoobrazie rodnikovykh istochnikov na territorii Belarusi [Hydrogeochemical diversity of spring sources on the territory of Belarus]. Aktual’nye voprosy effektivnogo i kompleksnogo ispol’zovaniya vodnykh resursov: sbornik materialov mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii, priurochennoi ko Vsemirnomu dnyu vodnykh resursov [Topical issues of efficient and integrated use of water resources: collection of materials of the international scientific and practical conference, dedicated to the World Water Day]. Minsk, 2023, pp. 62–64. (in Russian)

20. Pashkevich V. I. Geokhimiya podzemnykh vod zony aktivnogo vodoobmena vostochnoi chasti Belorusskogo Poles’ya v svyazi s melioratsiei. Avtoref. dis. kand. geol.-mineral. nauk [Geochemistry of groundwater in the active water exchange zone of the eastern part of the Belarusian Polesie due to the land reclamation. Abstract Ph.D geol.-mineral. sci.]. Moscow, 1986, 22 p. (in Russian)

21. Pashkevich V. I. Vliyanie osushitel’nykh melioratsii na formirovanie khimicheskogo sostava gruntovykh vod [The influence of drainage melioration on the formation of the groundwater chemical composition]. Formirovanie podzemnykh vod pod vliyaniem antropogennykh faktorov. Sbornik nauchnykh statei [Formation of groundwater under the influence of anthropogenic factors. Collection of articles]. Minsk, Nauka і Tekhnіka Publ., 1990, pp. 73–86. (in Russian)