Ecological assessment of the Large Garden pond water quality in the Moscow Agricultural Academy territory
Authors:   RGAU-Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K. A. Timiryazev, Ramadan Rita , Taller Evgeny , Vasenev Ivan 
Published: March 2022

The paper presents the results of the assessment of water quality in a Large Garden pond, which is located in the Timiryazevsky district of the Northern Administrative District of Moscow, on the territory of the park RGAU-MSHA named after K. A. Timiryazev. Oxygen dissolved in water, temperature, hydrogen index (pH) and the content of iron, copper, chlorides, nitrites and ammonium nitrogen were measured in the studied reservoir in winter and summer 2020 according to a single sampling and analysis scheme. Water sampling for analysis was carried out in accordance with GOST 51592-2000 "Water. General requirements for sampling" at 7 points distributed along the horizontal and vertical axes of the pond, at three levels (on the surface, in the middle of the water column and at the bottom). Determination of chemical indicators of water quality was carried out on the day of water sampling by photometric method, on the spectrophotometer "PC spectro Lovibond". Studies have shown a significant spatial variation of most of the studied indicators both in the pond area and in the depth of the reservoir, reaching multiple differences in the case of ammonium content and pronounced in the content of chlorides, iron and copper. On average, an almost twofold increase in the chloride content in winter indicates a significant impact on the water quality in the pond of the use of anti-icing reagents in the adjacent territory. The copper content increases significantly in the summer, with the highest values in the dam part of the pond with the maximum level of technogenic load. The lowest content of pollutants is observed in the upper part of the pond with minimal anthropogenic load. The negative impact of the roadway of Pryanishnikov Street is much more pronounced than the intense recreational load in the beach area. The anthropogenic alkalinization of the environment characteristic of Moscow is less evident in the central part of the pond with maximum depths. The dissolved oxygen content is closely related to the temperature of the water and the depth of its sampling. In summer, it is more at the bottom than at the surface of the pond. In winter, samples taken in the surface horizons of the reservoir are characterized by a lower temperature and are more saturated with oxygen than water samples taken at depth. The results obtained show the importance of the depth and area of the pond mirror for preserving the quality of its water in Moscow. Anthropogenic water pollution, which does not reach the maximum permissible concentrations, but is pronounced even in the conditions of one of the most environmentally friendly areas of the city, is actualized by the task of further reducing the regulated level of man-made load on the territories adjacent to urban reservoirs. The increased spatial variation of water quality and the patterns of its changes in the water area and depth of the reservoir noted in the work should be taken into account when planning and evaluating the results of monitoring and reclamation measures. Keywords: WATER QUALITY, AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS, HYDROCHEMICAL PARAMETERS, TEMPERATURE, CHEMICAL ELEMENTS, DISSOLVED OXYGEN