Pollutants in Bottom Sediments in the Balaklava Bay (the Black Sea)

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the paper consists in studying the pollution level, and the character of spatial distribution of microelements and trace metals, the chlorophorm-extractable substances and petroleum hydrocarbons and in evaluating the features of their accumulation in the upper layer of bottom sediments in the Balaklava Bay depending on the natural and anthropogenic sources of pollutants.

Methods and Results. The samples were taken from the bottom sediments upper layer (0–5 cm) in the Balaklava Bay by the Peterson grabber in February, 2015. Location of the sampling stations was chosen proceeding from the features of the bay morphometry, hydrological and hydrochemical water structure, pollution sources and the character of the sedimentation processes. The samples were selected, preprocessed and analyzed by the standard methods according to the regulatory documents. Some changes in relation between the clay fractions and the gravel material composition were revealed. The correlation dependence between the contents of chlorophorm-extractable substances and petroleum hydrocarbons was calculated. The features of spatial distribution of the metals’ content depending on the natural geochemical processes in the bottom sediments are revealed. The regions subjected to the most intensive anthropogenic load within the region under study are distinguished.

Conclusions. The content of clay material in all the samples taken in the Balaklava Bay on the average increased from 58.2 to 65.9 % and its maximum values are still concentrated in the western and northwestern parts of the water area under study. During last ten years, growth of the portion of a fine-grained material in the bottom fractions has been noted; at that the places where it accumulats are located in the areas of intense anthropogenic activity. The chlorophorm-extractable substances concentration in the Balaklava Bay bottom sediments varied within a wide range. On the whole, in course of the investigated period their content decreased, whereas the petroleum hydrocarbons concentration remained unchanged. It is found that pollution of the bottom sediments by metals is of a polyelemental nature and is characterized primarily by such metals as Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu and Sr. The increased microelements concentrations are observed in the northeastern and central parts of the water area, whereas the decreased metal concentrations – in its northwestern and eastern parts.

Keywords

Black Sea, Balaklava Bay, bottom sediments, granulometric composition, trace metals, chlorophorm-extractable substances, petroleum hydrocarbons.

Acknowledgements

The investigation was carried out within the framework of state task on the theme No. 0827-2019-0004 “Complex interdisciplinary investigations of the oceanologic processes conditioning functioning and evolution of the Black and Azov seas’ ecosystems of the coastal zones” and State assignment of IBSS RAS on theme “Molismological and biogeochemical foundations of the marine ecosystems homeostasis” No. AAAA-A18-118020890090-2 with support of the RFBR project No. 18-45-920007 “Geochemistry of bottom sediments pollutants of the Balaklava Bay (the Black Sea)”.

Original Russian Text © The Authors, 2019,
published in MORSKOY GIDROFIZICHESKIY ZHURNAL, Vol. 35, Iss. 5, pp. 469–480 (2019)

For citation

Kotelyanets, E.A., Gurov, K.I., Tikhonova, E.A. and Kondratev, S.I., 2019. Pollutants in Bottom Sediments in the Balaklava Bay (the Black Sea). Physical Oceanography, [e-journal] 26(5), pp. 414-424. doi:10.22449/1573-160X-2019-5-414-424

DOI

10.22449/1573-160X-2019-5-414-424

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