Hydrochemical characteristics of left-bank tributaries of the Dniester within Ternopil Oblast

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study the chemical composition of water and the hydrochemical regime of the left-bank tributaries of the Dniester within the Ternopil Oblast at 9 monitoring sites on the Zolota Lypa, Koropets, Strypa, Seret, Nichlava, and Zbruch Rivers. Water quality monitoring data from the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine for the period from 1993 to 2020 were used. The hydrographic assessment of the territory following the Water Code of Ukraine showed the presence of two medium-sized rivers (Seret and Zbruch) and four small rivers among the studied rivers. The chemical composition of the water was analyzed by the following groups of components: major ions and water salinity; physicochemical parameters; and biogenic components (nitrogen and phosphorus compounds). It was found that the water of most studied rivers is calcium bicarbonate by hydrochemical type. The water of the Nichlava River is calcium bicarbonate-sulfate. The average annual salinity of the water of the studied rivers varies from 476 mg∙dm-3 to 699 mg∙dm-3. It was determined that the water of most rivers is moderately fresh in terms of mineralization. The water of the Nichlava River is fresh with high mineralization. The hydrochemical regime of rivers is generally related to the hydrological regime. The minimum concentrations of the main ions and salinity values of the studied rivers are observed during the summer-autumn low water mark, which is explained by the significant amount of precipitation and the presence of floods during this period. In winter, the maximums of these indicators are observed. Among the biogenic compounds (ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate), the clearest manifestation of the hydrochemical regime was recorded for nitrate. The minimum NO3– concentrations are observed in the summer and autumn low-water periods when nitrates are consumed for the development of aquatic plants. In the autumn period, with the death of aquatic plants, nitrates accumulate, and during the winter low water, their maximum average content is observed. The analysis of the monitoring system of the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine for the content of the studied components in the water of the left-bank tributaries of the Dniester over a multi-year period for all samples showed that their concentrations were within the regulatory requirements, except for one case. Particularly, in the water of the Nichlava – Borshchiv River, an ammonium concentration of 15 mg∙dm-3 was recorded, which was 7.5 times higher than the standard (August 2, 2000).