Technogenesis and Ecological State of Natural Waters in Eastern Transbaikalia

The research on the state of water ecosystems is significant in terms of future biological impacts of natural and anthropogenic effects. The key branches of natural resources management in Eastern Transbaikalia (agriculture, hydraulic power industry) are based on using water resources. The findings show that technogenesis affects surface waters of the region. Alluvial gold mining represents a significant part of mining industry. Gold mining in river channels results in run-of-stream diversion and interferes with the ecosystem of watercourses. A newly formed structure of a water ecosystem is not favourable for self-purification capacity of rivers. This leads to pollutants accumulation in water objects and deteriorates ecological state of watercourses. Natural components in the technoecosystem of hydropower objects in Eastern Transbaikalia are Lake Kenon and the Kharanor Reservoir. Although the catchment area is polluted by TPP-1, the ecosystem of the lake is still capable of self-purification due to biodiversity of hydrobionts. Under the dry climate in recent years, the Kharanor Reservoir ecosystem turned as rather unstable due to constant refilling from the Onon River. However, generally, pigment indices show physiological activity of primary producers of organic matter.

Geochemical peculiarities of underground and surface waters in the area of influence of the ash dump of the Chita CHPP-1

As a result of filtration leaks from the ash dump, an envelope with a length of over 3 km up to the lake Kenon has been formed along the flow of groundwater bicarbonate-sulphate waters with a mineralization of more than 1.0 g / l, substandard in terms of drinking waters relative to the total mineralization, the magnitude of stiffness and the content of magnesium and silicon. Pollution of natural waters in the areas of disposal of ash dumps is a common problem of coal power plants and thermal power plants [1, 2]. In this regard, the Chita CHPP-1 is no exception. The purpose of this message is to show the change in the chemical characteristics of groundwater and surface water in the zone of influence of its hydraulic ash dump, based on the results of the work performed by the authors. The study was based on the results of hydrogeochemical studies of natural and man-made objects for 2002, 2008 and 2015. Samples were taken in the autumn-summer period (open water period), which, given the fairly stable hydrogeochemical regime within the annual cycle, is fairly representative.

The current state of hydrochemical indicators of Lake Kenon– the cooling reservoir of the TPP

A characteristic is given of the current hydrochemical state of the water of Lake Kenon, which is used as a reservoir - a cooler for the Chita TPP. For over 50-years of operation of the station located on its shore, under the conditions of anthropogenic impact, there has been a sharp change in the chemical type of the lakeʼs water. Currently, the predominant anion is the sulfate ion. Above the MPC standard for water of water bodies of fishery significance are the content of magnesium and sulfates and the trace elements: fluorine, vanadium, strontium, molybdenum, copper, tungsten. The concentrations of boron, lithium, bromine are relatively increased, in some samples - iron, manganese, aluminum and barium.

The specific features of the thermal radiation of lake Kenon during freeze-up in the infrared band

This work is the study of the infrared images of Lake Kenon located in the city of Chita. The images were obtained from a satellite Lansat-8. The images revealed the thermal anomalies of the said internal water body. The anomalies consisted in the fact that areas of open water having negative temperature are formed in the lake in the winter period. The phenomenon may be caused both by surface supercooling of the lake water and by formation of water aerosol at the temperature below 0°C. The emergence of areas with supercooled water may be, paradoxical as it may sound, due to the impact of the thermal power plant located near the lake. Its functioning prevents formation of the ice cover, especially at the locations of warm water discharge. Analysis of the satellite images in the IR-band obtained over the recent five years has shown the area of the higher water temperature on the lake surface not to exceed 10% of the total area of the lake. The time before the freeze-up in the absence of wind, October – November, is the best time for revealing the maximum temperature difference.

Monitoring of the ecological state of the city lake of Chita

Introduction. The paper presents the results of the studies on assessing the quality of the aquatic ecosystem of a lake located within the city. The European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and the Gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) were used as an indicator for determining the quality of the aquatic ecosystem by the method of fluctuating asymmetry. Problem Statement. The aim of the work was to conduct monitoring with the subsequent assessment of the quality of the ecosystem of the city lake using the method of fluctuating asymmetry (hereinafter FA). Theoretical and Practical Part. The quality of the urban lake aquatic ecosystem was assessed using the FA method (indicators: the European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.), 1758 and the Gibel carp (Carassius auratus Bloch), 1783). To identify the reasons for the high PFA values, a chemical analysis (in an accredited laboratory) of the gills of the Gibel carp for heavy metals was performed. Conclusions. As a result of the research, the FA indicators values for these indicators were obtained. According to the results of a laboratory study of the content of heavy metals in the gill arches of the Gibel carp, an excess of the maximum permissible concentration of 8 out of 10 analyzed elements was revealed. It has been established that the ecosystem of the city lake Kenon is experiencing a significant anthropogenic load (5 points — the critical quality of the aquatic environment) and it continues to increase towards the deterioration of the habitat.

Phytoplankton primary production in the lake Kenon (Zabaykalsky krai, Russia)

Located in the Amur watershed, Lake Kenon is an urban reservoir that hosts recreational and commercial fishery activity. The current status of the lake is connected with the Chita Thermal Power Plant No 1, the basin’s human population, and the density of railways as well as highways within the basin. From the start of the thermal power plant’s operation, the reservoir’s ion composition significantly changed from largely sodium and bicarbonate species to sulfate, bicarbonate, chloride, sodium, calcium, and magnesium chemical species. Additionally, heavy metals have been accumulating in Kenon’s sediment. The results presented in this article are based on field measurements and comparative analysis with previous studies. Primary production was calculated using a light-dark bottle method. During the study period, current evidence corroborated previous investigations that respiration and decomposition rates generally tend to exceed photosynthesis rates. As noted in June 2015, in the cent of the lake where complete mixing occurs, primary production as well as respiration decreases with depth in the water column. With increased warming since August 2015, primary production exceeded respiration in upper layers. Considering the lake’s relatively small area for thermal fluxes (10% of the lake’s surface area), production-respiration processes are within Lake Kenon’s ecological capacities. The observed photosynthesis-respiration ratios from long-term study suggest that the system is resilient to the current anthropogenic load.

Study of the Effect of Chemical Pollution with Coal-Fired Power Plant on the Fish of Lake Kenon (Trans-Baikal Territory, Russia)

In this study, contamination of potentially toxic elements (Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Hg and Pb) and species dominant in the fish community of Lake Kenon – Carassius auratus gibelio (Bloch 1782) and Perca fluviatilis (Linnaeus 1758) – were investigated. Chemical elements in samples were determined by atomic emission spectrometry (iCAP-6500, Thermo Scientific, USA) and mass spectrometry (X-7, Thermo Elemental, USA). It was reported that water in Lake Kenon contained low concentrations of the studied metals. The bottom sediments are enriched with Mn, Zn, Hg and Pb. Bioaccumulation factors of chemical elements accumulated from the surrounding water for P. fluviatus and C. auratus gibelio in descending order are as follows: Zn > Pb > Hg > Cu. P. fluviatus accumulates Hg in equal measure from both water and bottom sediments. Manganese and mercury are accumulated in the muscles of C. auratus gibelio from bottom sediments. The high accumulation ratio of Zn and Hg in C. auratus gibelio was obtained from Chara sp. (24 times) and Chironomus spp. (38 times), respectively. High accumulation ratio of Zn (26 times) and Hg (29 times) in P. fluviatus was obtained from amphipods. At the same time, Hg in P. fluviatus muscles was accumulated at high level from Chironomus spp. (67 times). In this way, management decisions for mitigation practices in Lake Kenon should be focussed on for the disposal of wastewater from the ash dump contaminated with chemical elements.