Influence of Thermal Pollution on the Ecological Conditions in Cooling Reservoirs

Abstract

The article presents the results of studying the water chemistry and the species structure of phytoplankton and higher aquatic vegetation of the cooling reservoir at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the lakes Pesvo and Udomlya being its components. It was established that the inflow of heated waters from the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant to the lakes Pesvo and Udomlya had resulted in a significant change in the temperature conditions of the water bodies, an increase in water mineralization and the concentrations of hydrocarbonates, sulfates, calcium, and magnesium, as well as рН. The role of cryptophytae algae (Cryptophyta) has increased, and species of higher aquatic vegetation, unusual for this area have appeared.