The ecological state of the Vistula lagoon using indicators of water quality and eutrophication
- DOI
- 10.5922/gikbfu-2023-3-6
- Pages
- 78-91
Abstract
The Vistula Lagoon is a transboundary lagoon of the Baltic Sea that is subject to significant pollution and water eutrophication. An assessment of the ecological condition of the lagoon was conducted based on the calculation of modern Russian and foreign water pollution indices for the period 2007—2022. The long-term variability of these parameters was analyzed for the lagoon as a whole and separately for four regions characterized by specific conditions. The highest level of water pollution is characteristic of the eastern region and the Primorskaya Bay. The Russian Water Quality Index (SCWPI) and the widely used world index, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI), demonstrated similar seasonal and long-term variability. The launch of modern treatment facilities in 2016 led to a significant reduction in pollution in the Primorskaya Bay. However, in recent years, an increase in pollution has been observed in the eastern region, where the main river runoff (from the Pregolya River) enters and where the new discharge of Kaliningrad's treatment facilities is located. The level of eutrophication and phytoplankton abundance (chlorophyll concentration) influences the calculated water pollution indices (SCWPI and CCME WQI). The highest values were observed during the period of "water bloom" in the lagoon. The introduction of filter-feeding mollusks and the resulting changes in the plankton of the Vistula Lagoon have contributed to the reduction of water pollution indices.