Environmental monitoring of Lake Baikal

Ingress of chemicals into Lake Baikal

Ingress of substances together with water flow of major tributaries of Lake Baikal in 2015

Suspended solids, thousand tonnes
Organic substances , thousand tonnes

The diagrams provide an estimate of the removal of substances with aqueous runoff from the main stream tributaries of Lake Baikal – the rivers Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin and Turka. The aqueous runoff in the main-stream sections of the listed large tributaries of the lake was estimated on the basis of the adjusted average monthly water consumption. In 2016 compared to 2015, the removal of suspended substances decreased by 5,4 times, and the removal of organic substances - by 12.7%. The main reason for the increase in removal is the increase in the aqueous runoff.


Ingress of substances from the atmosphere to Lake Baikal in 2015 tonnes/km2 per year

Observations were carried out at five stations (stationary): Baykalsk, Khamar-Daban (southern coast of the lake), Angara Source, Bolshoye Goloustnoye (west coast of the southern part of Lake Baikal) and Khuzhir (Olkhon island, middle Baikal).

Compared to 2014, the summarised value of analysed substances increased at three stations: at Khamar-Daban by 2.3 times, in Baykalsk town by 13% and on the island of Olkhon, Khuzhir station - by 10%. The most significant growth for certain groups of substances was registered at the station Khamar-Daban: organic substances increased by 4.7 times, low-solubility substances - by 3.3 times and sulphates increased by 30%. At some stations separate measurements varied from 5% (minerals) to 2.4 times (compounds of mineral nitrogen, Khuzhir station).

In 2015 compared to 2014 summarised values of analysed substances decreased by 30% and 12% at the stations Angara Source and Bolshoye Goloustnoye respectively.

Intra-annual dynamics of substances’ ingress from the atmosphere with precipitation and during dry periods corresponded to the values observed in the long-term period. About 50% of incoming substances were observed during the period May-August, while up to 10% were registered in January and December.



Source: a review of the status and pollution of environment in Russian Federation in 2015