Comparative assessment of the environmental status of the Luga River locations
T.V. Kuznetsova, A.B. Manvelova, L.L. Kapranova
Section: Monitoring of natural and anthropogenically disturbed areas
We have conducted a comprehensive assessment of the ecological status of the Luga River locations. The analysis was based on aquatic environment quality indicators, and data on heavy metal content in bottom sediments and tissues of indigenous bivalve mollusks Unio pictorum L. (Mollusca, Bivalvia), as well as on the mollusks’ physiological status (Condition Index – CI) in 7 locations of the Luga River. Differences in the physicochemical characteristics of surface water quality and heavy metal content and bioaccumulation were revealed. The maximum heavy metal concentrations in bottom sediments were typical for Zn and Pb, lower – for Cu and Cd, regardless of the sampling site. The heavy metal’s bioaccumulation coefficient in mollusk soft tissues was maximum for Zn, to a lesser extent for Cu and Cd, and minimum for Pb. The minimum CI values were obtained for the sampling site below Tolmachevo, the maximum – for the sampling site below confluence of the Solka and the Luga rivers. A small population of mollusks has been identified within the city of Luga. This may be due to the low dissolved oxygen content in the water in addition to environmental pollution. The CI (general health status) was calculated using various morphometric and mass parameters of mollusks sampled in different locations. A comparative analysis of the CI showed the effectiveness of this approach in assessing the ecological status of the studied aquatic ecosystems based on the status of the local biota.
Keywords: comprehensive assessment of the ecological status, physicochemical indicators of water quality, heavy metals, sediments, tissues of mollusks, condition (general health status) indexes of bivalves
Article published in number 3 for 2025 DOI: 10.25750/1995-4301-2025-3-065-073
ISSN 1995-4301
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