The Distribution Features of the Copper Migration Forms Content in the Water Along the Continuum "the Mius Estuary – the Taganrog Bay of the Azov Sea"

Abstract

The aim is to study the peculiarities of gross copper content distribution as well as dissolved and suspended forms of its migration in water of the cascade system "the Miuss River – the Miuss estuary – the Taganrog Bay of the Azov Sea". Materials and methods. Water samples from the Mius River, the Mius estuary and theTaganrog Bay were taken to determine copper concentrations in unfiltered (gross content) and filtered (dissolved form of migration) samples using standard techniques and portable equipment. Mathematical and statistical analysis was carried out to assess correlation relations between physico-chemical parameters and content of different forms of copper in water bodies. Results and discussion. Average concentrations of copper in the waters of the cascade system were compared with its content at the global and regional levels. Experimental data have shown an excess of the content of the dissolved form of migration of copper in water in the section "the Mius River - the Taganrog Bay" in relation to its global background. In this connection the element is recognized as a priority pollutant heavy metal for the Azov Sea basin. The predominant form of copper migration turned out to be suspended. It is shown that the average levels of specific copper concentration in suspended water in the Mius River estuary and the Taganrog Bay are similar to the levels of its gross concentration in coastal soils, but significantly lower than in atmospheric dust and soils of Rostov-on-Don. This indicates the leading role of atmospheric solid-phase deposition in the formation of its specific concentration levels in the suspended form of migration. Conclusions. Within the studied cascade system, there are two barrier zones - the zone of mixing of waters of the Mius River with waters of the Miusky estuary and the zone of mixing of waters of the estuary with waters of the Taganrog Bay. Along the section "river - liman - bay" the gross content of copper and its forms of migration experience symbiotic fluctuations, caused by changes of physical and chemical parameters and the presence of "turbidity clouds", moving under the influence of wind along the water area of the liman.