Water quality in the littoral zone of the Barguzin and Chivyrkuy bays in the summer of 2019

Currently, with an increase in technological progress, anthropogenic impact on the environment is increasingly apparent. Since surface waters are the most vulnerable part of the natural environment, a detailed study of water pollution is one of the urgent tasks. This article presents the results of the instrumental measurements and the assessment of the pollution of the surface waters in the littoral zone of the Barguzin and Chivyrkuy bays of Lake Baikal. To determine the degree of water pollution, we compared hydrochemical indicators with the standards of the maximum permissible concentrations. We revealed that in different parts of the Chivyrkuy Bay, water quality varies in a wide range from slightly polluted to very polluted and, in some cases, highly polluted. The waters in the Barguzin Bay can mainly be classified as slightly polluted, and only in some areas – as moderately polluted or highly polluted. According to the comprehensive water pollution index, the waters in the Chivyrkuy and Barguzin bays is assessed as conditionally polluted and conditionally pure, respectively.