Analysis of concentrations of biogenic compounds discharged into water bodies with municipal wastewater

Abstract

There were analyzed the effect of increased concentration of biogenic elements, as well as increased temperature on the frequency and magnitude of cyanobacteria reproduction. The goal was to identify the main causes of poor water quality in surface water bodies of Ukraine compared to European countries, as well as the impact of municipal wastewater entering water bodies on the quality of water in them. It is shown that pollution with biogenic elements (compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus) is one of the main reasons for unsatisfactory water quality in water bodies. This, in turn, is the cause of a number of such problems as the change in biological diversity and productivity of water bodies due to the eutrophication of freshwater and marine ecosystems, and the spread of diseases associated with unsatisfactory drinking water quality. One of the main sources of biogenic elements entering surface water bodies is municipal wastewater. Long-term observations of the composition of wastewater from municipal sewage systems indicate that the concentration of biogenic elements in them can be different. It largely depends on the sources of the effluents. In the total amount of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds entering the wastewater, a significant place is occupied by the economic activity of the inhabitants of the residential areas. Experience shows that, regardless of the level of water supply, the total mass of biogens entering the sewage systems from one inhabitant over a certain period of time is constant. However, taking into account the fact that the water availability for residents is different, the concentration of biogens in wastewater will also be different due to different dilutions. The calculation shows that for the entire possible range of water consumption levels (from 100 to 285 l/day per inhabitant according to the standards), the concentration of biogenic elements in wastewater can be: total nitrogen – from 38.6 to 110 mg/l; ammonium nitrogen – from 36.1 to 102.8 mg/l; nitrites – from 2.35 to 6.74 mg/l; nitrates – from 43.27 to 123.67 mg/l; total phosphorus – from 6.31 to 18 mg/l; phosphates – from 15.49 to 44.17 mg/l; organic phosphorus – from 1.26 to 3.60 mg/l.