Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2022 number 5S

This article presents the results of geochemical studies of the main landscape components in the estuarine zones of the tributaries (Goloustnaya, Sarma, Kika, and Barguzin) and the coast of Lake Baikal. An assessment is made of the pollution of snow, soil, vegetation and surface waters. It was established that the most severe pollution is observed in the mouths of the Goloustnaya and Barguzin rivers. In the case of the Goloustnaya river this is due to soil and snow pollution as a result of the atmospheric transfer of emissions from the Irkutsk industrial center. The water in the Barguzin river is heavily polluted, largely as a result of pollutants from overlying catchment areas. In the mouth of the Sarma river, the main pollutants are due to recreational activities and enter soils and river and lake waters. The territory of the mouth of the Kika river is experiencing significant recreational loads but has relatively low levels of soil and water pollution. Accumulation of pollutants occurs on the geochemical barriers of soils and alluvial deposits. A rise of the water level in the lake does not lead to a critical level of permissible content of pollutants, and the quality of drinking water complies with sanitary standards. However, there are local areas with increased levels of toxic elements and substances in the coastal waters of Lake Baikal and in soils near coastal settlements (Sarma, Ust’-Barguzin, and Bol’shoe Goloustnoye).