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Tab.1: classification following Laenderarbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser (LAWA), Mainz, Germany, 1976 (showing colours used for mapping)
quality class & colours as used in the map |
degree of organic load
|
saprobic state
|
saprobic index
|
usual BOD5 in mg/L
|
usual NH4-N in mg/L
|
usual O2- minima in mg/L |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I |
no or minimal
|
oligosaprob
|
1,0-<1,5
|
1
|
<0,1
|
8 |
I-II |
small
|
oligo-betamesosaprob
|
1,5-<1,8
|
1-2
|
~0,1
|
8 |
II |
medium
|
betamesosaprob
|
1,8-<2,3
|
2-6
|
<0,3
|
6 |
II-III |
critical
|
beta-alphamesosaprob
|
2,3-<2,7
|
5-10
|
<1
|
4 |
III |
strongly polluted
|
alphamesosaprob
|
2,7-<3,2
|
7-13
|
0,5- several mg/L
|
2 |
III-IV |
very strongly
polluted
|
alphamesosaprobic
transition zone
|
3,2-<3,5
|
10-20
|
several mg/L
|
<2 |
IV |
extremely polluted
|
polysaprob
|
3,5-<4,0
|
15
|
several mg/L
|
<2 |
The first map shows urban running waters. Sometimes they are polluted by waste water, mineral oil and surface run-off. In winter, road salt and brook salinisation are a serious problem. In many cases, river beds are changed into concrete channels (river Libid) or fish ponds (river Nivka). Another problem of concern is the erosion of soils in the catchment area and heavy loads with clay and silt. The catchments of the four main city rivers are shown here.
The next maps show the very first overview of river water quality classes and the related sampling points in a wider area, in the "Kiev oblast". In most cases, rivers seem to be in a more natural state and often they look like unchanged at all. In spring, river and snow melt water cover bigger parts of the floodplains that are available for meandering as well. Anthropogenic impacts in the river basin are sometimes the reason for abnormally high soil erosion. They are not further considered here.
Main problem of water quality is the influence of agriculture and following eutrophication. Within the villages, river banks are often loaded with waste deposits and dams are constructed. In places of reduced water velocity, sediments are deposed that are rich in organic matter and decrease the habitat quality.
The habitat assessments using German literature (LAWA 1998) [3] and assessment software from the Landesamt fuer Wasserwirtschaft, Muenchen have been carried out for the brooks and streams of the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Results are available on request and are also published now[2] . Coloured maps can be viewed on-line.
The quality status of the r. Dnepr is not shown in the map. Between the reservoirs, the Dnepr can be classified as beta-meso-saprobic.
(Above:) First overview of river water quality in the Kiev "Oblast"
TEST - map showing the sampling points in the Kiev "Oblast". Click on the area of interest for further details!
Contributions to the discussion on classification schemes
Within the European Union, only five classes should be determined to describe the ecological state of a river (s. EC Water Framework Directive, annex V).
The five classes and colours to be used to
describe the ecological state are:
high/excellent.... blue
good.............. green
moderate/fair..... yellow
poor.............. orange
bad/very poor..... red
Five classes have already been used in Germany nineteen years ago. The relationship water quality / chemical load was based on statistical calculations.
Tab. 2: Classification of organic loads and their degradation products (medians) as used in Baden-Wuerttemberg (LfU, BW), Germany in 1990 and - for comparison - in the State of the Environment report * (Victoria's Inland Waters), US
class |
quality | Colour |
TOC |
BOD5 |
O2 |
NH4-N |
NO2-N |
PO4-P |
reactive P * |
I |
High | blue |
1,6 |
1,1 |
8 |
0,10 |
0,006 |
0,06 |
<0,008 |
II |
Good | green |
2,0 |
2,0 |
6 |
0,15 |
0,017 |
0,10 |
<0,020 |
III |
Moderate | yellow |
2,7 |
3,3 |
4 |
0,20 |
0,06 |
0,30 |
<0,040 |
IV |
Poor | orange |
4,5 |
7,1 |
2 |
1,50 |
0,14 |
1,15 |
<0,08 |
V |
bad. | Red |
9,4 |
11,2 |
< 2 |
1,90 |
0,28 |
2,50 |
0,08 |
In Ukraine, the use of five classes is also recommended in a guidance document. As an example, the chemical classification of BOD5 and ammonia is given in the following table, compared with the former German classification mentioned above.
Tab. 3: Comparison of water quality classes for BOD5 and NH4-N levels in BW (FRG) and Ukraine (UA)
class |
BOD5 |
BOD5 |
NH4-N |
NH4-N |
|
FRG |
UA |
FRG |
UA |
||
median |
min-max |
median |
min-max |
||
I |
1,1 |
< 1,0 |
0,1 |
< 0,1 |
|
II |
2,0 |
1,0-2,1 |
0,15 |
0,1-0,3 |
|
III |
3,3 |
2,2-7,0 |
0,20 |
0,31-1,0 |
|
IV |
7,1 |
7,1-12,0 |
1,5 |
1,01-2,5 |
|
V |
11,2 |
12,0 |
1,9 |
2,5 |
For the future classification, based on the saprobe index, the following table is presented.
Tab. 4: Proposal for the relation water quality class - saprobe index and comparison with the Ukrainian classification
class |
term | colour |
saprobe index |
saprobe index |
|
proposal |
UA |
||||
I |
high | blue |
1,0- <1,8 |
< 1,0 |
|
II |
good | green |
1,8- <2,3(?) |
1,0-2,0 |
|
III |
moderate | yellow |
2,3(?)- <3,2 |
2,1-3,0 |
|
IV |
poor | orange |
3,2- <3,5 |
3,1-3,5 |
|
V |
bad | red |
3,5- <4,0 |
> 3,5 |
The Ukrainian classification draws a too bad picture for the classes I, II, III. The border between class II and III should be further discussed. Following the WFD, the new classification schemes will be related to eco-regions, selected reference waters and inter-calibration results.
more information? --->
[2] М. Хоффманн, В. Раков (2006): Определение экологического состояния малых рек в черте г. Киева в соответствии с европейской водной рамочной директивой (WFD) Journal of Hydrobiology T. 39, No.4, Kiev, S. 82-90 ( in Russian, English version is published by Begell House, Inc. USA).
[3] Laenderarbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser (LAWA) (1998): Gewaesserstrukturguetekartierung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
[4] URL:
http://www.ecologicalindicators.org
Site title: ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS - New International Journal
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last update March 2009
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