Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea 2413-5577 20260306 Original paper Interannual Changes in the Hydrochemical Parameters of the Chernaya River from 2019 to 2024 (Sevastopol, Southwestern Crimea) Petrova J. A.
Russian Federation
juliacosac@gmail.ru Milchakova N. A.
Russian Federation
nmilchakova@ibss-ras.ru Gavrilova J. A.
Russian Federation
u.gavrilova@gs.sev.gov.ru A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS Sevastopol Russia 30 09 2026 2026 3 93 109 28 12 2025 09 03 2026 30 06 2026 Copyright © 2026, J. A. Petrova, N. A. Milchakova, J. A. Gavrilova 2026 J. A. Petrova, N. A. Milchakova, J. A. Gavrilova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ https://ecological-safety.ru/en/repository/issues/2026/03/06/

The study aims to assess the quality of the Chernaya River waters by analysing interannual changes and spatial distribution of hydrochemical parameters for 2019–2024, and to develop evidence-based scientific and practical recommendations for improving the condition of the water body. The article analyses the monitoring data of the Chernaya River for 36 standardised and non-standardised hydrochemical parameters, including nutrients, organic and inorganic substances, heavy metals and pesticides, at five observation points in its upper, middle and lower reaches. The material was collected during state monitoring under the Ecology and Environmental Protection of the City of Sevastopol program. Sampling was carried out once per season. A hydrochemical analysis was performed on 120 samples using standard methods. We found significant spatial differences in the content of standardised and non-standardised indicators. It was shown that the concentration of certain nutrients, chlorides, sulfates and metals (Fe, Cu) in the lower reaches exceeded the standard values for water bodies by more than four times. The content of Ca, Mn, and Mg varied sharply throughout the observation period, exceeding the maximum permissible levels by a factor of two or more. In 2024, an increase was observed in the content of suspended solids and nutrients (NH4+, Si), and in chemical oxygen demand, while at all monitoring sites, by 2024, the content of phenols (since 2021) and petroleum products (since 2023) had decreased, whereas the concentrations of organochlorine pesticides, nickel, hexavalent chromium, and nitrates were below the maximum permissible concentrations and varied little across years and regions. In the estuarine part of the Chernaya River, a slight improvement in water quality was recorded in terms of phenol content. Despite the improvement in organic indicators, the exceedance of the maximum permissible concentrations for heavy metals and nutrients requires continued monitoring and the implementation of measures: inventory of sources, introduction of reed filter strips and strengthening of bioindication monitoring.

 monitoring of water bodies hydrochemical indicators pollutants spatial dynamics water quality Chernaya River Sevastopol city This work was carried out under the IBSS state research assignment “Biodiversity as the basis for the sustainable functioning of marine ecosystems, criteria and scientific principles for its conservation” (no. 124022400148-4).

About the authors:

Julia A. Petrova, Postgraduate, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), ORCID: 0009-0008-4317-5931, juliacosac@gmail.ru

Natalia A. Milchakova, Leading Researcher, Head of the Laboratory of Phytoresources, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), PhD (Biol.), ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5407-7706, Researcher ID: I-1280-2016, nmilchakova@ibss-ras.ru

Julia A. Gavrilova, Postgraduate, A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimov Ave., Sevastopol, 299011, Russia), ORCID: 0009-0004-1243-8912, u.gavrilova@gs.sev.gov.ru

Contribution of the authors:

Yulia A. Petrova – analysis of state monitoring results, preparation of the manuscript text

Natalia A. Milchakova – formulation of the problem, analysis of results, preparation of the manuscript text

Yulia A. Gavrilova – analysis of state monitoring results, preparation of the manuscript text

All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Article text not included.

REFERENCES Gasovsky G.M. Practical Significance of Ciliata and a History of their Studies in Ukraine Proceedings of the Zoological Museum Kiev Naukova Dumka 1960 29 58 89 (in Ukrainian) Dovgal I.V. Petrova Y.A. Free-Living Ciliates (Ciliophora) of the Crimean Peninsula Freshwaters (State of Knowledge and New Finds) Biodiversity and Sustainable Development 2023 8 2 13 25 (in Russian) Minkovskaya R.Ya. Ingerov A.V. Hydrochemical Description of the Rivers in the Sevastopol Area Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones and Comprehensive Use of Shelf Resources 2010 22 281 295 (in Russian) Verzhevskaya L.V. Minkovskaya R.Ya. Structure and Dynamics of Anthropogenic Load on the Coastal Zone of the Sevastopol Region Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea 2020 2 92 106 10.22449/2413-5577-2020-2-92-106 (in Russian) Myslina M.A. Varenik A.V. Tarasevich D.V. Dynamics of Nutrients Concentration in the Chernaya River Waters (Crimean Peninsula) in 2015–2020 Physical Oceanography 2024 31 3 398 408 Kondratev S.I. Hydrochemical Composition of the Chernaya River (Crimea) in 2012–2023 Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea 2024 4 27 38 Gruzinov V.M. Dyakov N.N. Mezenceva I.V. Malchenko Y.A. Zhohova N.V. Korshenko A.N. Sources of Coastal Water Pollution near Sevastopol Oceanology 2019 59 4 523 532 10.1134/S0001437019040076 Tabunshchik V.A. Timchenko Z.V. Chernov J.I. Water Pollution in the Rivers of the Northwestern Slope of the Crimean Mountains (Using the Example of the Basins of the Zapadnyy Bulganak, Alma, Kacha, Belbek, Chernaya Rivers) Geopolitics and Ecogeodynamics of Regions 2024 10 1 202 217 (in Russian) Oliferov A.N. Timchenko Z.V. Rivers and Lakes of Crimea Simferopol DOLYA 2005 214 (in Russian) Prokopov G.A. Fauna of Fresh Waters of Pool River Chernaya Issues of Development of Crimea. Iss. 15. Problems of the Crimean Biota Inventorying Simferopol Tavriya-Plus 2003 151 174 (in Russian) Sovga E.E. Khmara T.V. Influence of the Chernaya River Runoff During High and Low Water on the Ecological State of the Apex of the Sevastopol Bay Water Area Physical Oceanography 2020 27 1 28 36 10.22449/1573-160X-2020-1-28-36 Minkovskaya R.Ya. Demidov A.N. Narivonchik S.V. The Effect of the Runoff of the Chernaya River (Sevastopol Region) on the Estuarine Coast During Floods Hydrosphere. Hazard Processes and Phenomena 2024 6 2 138 156 10.34753/HS.2024.6.2.138 (in Russian) Sovga E.E. Khmara T.V. Winter Floods on the Chernaya River as a Source of Nutrients for the Apex of the Sevastopol Bay All-Russian Scientific Conference Seas of Russia: Fundamental and Applied Research (23–28 September, Sevastopol): Conference Proceedings Sevastopol 2019 276 278 (in Russian) Minkovskaya R.Ya. Kabatchenko I.M. Assessment of the State of the Sea Mouths of Rivers in Sevastopol Region Proceedings of SOI Moscow 2018 219 152 173 (in Russian) Malakhova L.V. Egorov V.N. Malakhova T.V. Lobko V.V. Murashova A.I. Bobko N.I. Organochlorine Compounds Content in the Components of the Black River Ecosystem and Assessment of their Inflow to the Sevastopol Bay in the Winter Season 2020 International Journal of Applied and Fundamental Research 2020 5 7 14 10.17513/mjpfi.13061 (in Russian)