Assessment of the impact of natural conditions and economic activities on water quality in rivers of the south-eastern part of the Kaliningrad oblast

The purpose of the work is to identify and assess the degree of impact of natural and economic factors on water quality in the Angrapa River basin of the Kaliningrad Region. Four hydrochemical and hydrological monitoring sites have been identified for each of Angrapa, Pissa, Krasnaya and Russkaya watercourses, from their upper reaches to the estuary parts. The Angrapa River was an exception because the first monitoring site is located at a distance from the upper reaches near the state border. River studies were carried out seasonally over two hydrological years, starting from autumn 2022 and ending in summer 2024. The results of chemical analyses of water samples were used to calculate the WPI and, which were extrapolated to certain areas. The results obtained were then compared with the differentiated natural and economic conditions of the basin. The natural and economic conditions prevailing in the Angrapa River basin are territorially expressed as follows: agriculture 40%, forest cover 36%, urbanization 3%, lake area 5% and other 16%. According to the SCWPI for 2022–2024 water quality varies from 3b – very polluted to 4v – very dirty. The pollution increases from the source to the mouth, which is accompanied by a decrease in forest and growth of agricultural lands, as well as the accumulation of chemicals downstream watercourses. The main pollutants that do not meet the MAC standards are oil products, iron, dissolved oxygen, COD, BOD5, phosphates, ammonium and nitrites. Based on this, we have identified the following potential sources of pollution: agriculture, urbanized areas, groundwater with a high iron content, natural cycles of aquatic and coastal vegetation. Correlations were found between the SCWPI and the percentage of agricultural lands (corr = 0,70) and forests (corr = –0,81), but the nature of these relationships needs to be studied more in detail. The impact of water volume on water quality varies depending on the rivers and hydrological seasons, which requires additional research and data from hydrographic posts.

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