Contribution of microparticles to the transport of pollution by rivers and groundwaters in a large city

Abstract

Most components of the composition of natural waters exist in several phases - in the water mass, in suspensions, colloids, on Fe and Mn hydroxides, in detritus. They are often characterized by different toxicity. The smaller the particle of the suspension, the higher is its sorption capacity. Priority pollutants and their content in urban water bodies of Nizhny Novgorod in the summer-autumn low water period of 2020 were identified: organic substances, petroleum products, ammonium, surfactants, iron and manganese. More than half of their total transport is carried out by suspensions. In the estuaries of rivers with particles in the range of 0.22-2 microns, up to 70% of iron is carried by suspensions, up to 45% of manganese and about half of petroleum products and surfactants. Studied water objects (rivers, springs and water tunnels) are also polluted with synthetic microfibers of anthropogenic origin.