104
T. Gremm et al.
1
Introduction
Water quality in rivers not only affects aquatic ecosystems but is also of major
importance for the drinking water supply in many parts of the world. Since the
water resources are threatened critically by various human activities, the
protection of the aquatic ecosystems is of utmost importance. Water-quality
monitoring is therefore a major task in environmental chemistry, leading to the
identification of pollution sources and providing the basis for the implementation
of effective measures not only to improve the quality of the aquatic ecosystems
but also to protect the essential water resources. While extensive datasets on the
water quality of rivers and streams in western Europe are available to the scientific
community as well as to the public, only little reliable information on the water
quality of major rivers and streams in the area of the former Soviet Union is
accessible (Avakian et al. 1994; Flerov and Koroleva 1996; Saratovskikh et al.
1997; GEMS 1998; Chernogaeva 1998; Zhulidov et al. 1998,2000; Bryzgalo et
al. 2000). On the other hand, an increasing number of water-quality problems and
especially problems related to the quality of drinking water produced from surface
water have been reported in the literature (Chernogaeva 1998; El'piner 1999;
Kondratyev et al. 1999; Ivanov et al. 2000). Since surface water is a major source
for drinking water in the urban regions of Russia (Chernogaeva 1998; Prokhorova
et al. 2000), systematic and reliable information on the pollution status of the
water resources in Russia is needed to launch effective programs for the
preservation of the water resources as well as their sustainable management. This
chapter gives an overview on the results of a GermanlRussian research
cooperation that was initiated to study the water quality of the Oka River and
Moskva River in western Russia. The major topics of the project were: (1) the
development of a water-quality survey concept, (2) the assessment of the water
quality in the studied river system, (3) to study the influence of the Moskva River
on the water quality in the Oka River, (4) to identify sources of pollution, and (5)
generation of a database to assist the implementation of measures to improve and
protect the water quality in the studied rivers. The project was started in March
1996 and was finished in December 1999 (Frimmel and Gremm 2000). In October
2000, the German/Russian cooperation on water quality and river hydrology was
extended within the framework of a multidisciplinary research project entitled
"Volga/Rhine".
T. Gremm et al.
1
Introduction
Water quality in rivers not only affects aquatic ecosystems but is also of major
importance for the drinking water supply in many parts of the world. Since the
water resources are threatened critically by various human activities, the
protection of the aquatic ecosystems is of utmost importance. Water-quality
monitoring is therefore a major task in environmental chemistry, leading to the
identification of pollution sources and providing the basis for the implementation
of effective measures not only to improve the quality of the aquatic ecosystems
but also to protect the essential water resources. While extensive datasets on the
water quality of rivers and streams in western Europe are available to the scientific
community as well as to the public, only little reliable information on the water
quality of major rivers and streams in the area of the former Soviet Union is
accessible (Avakian et al. 1994; Flerov and Koroleva 1996; Saratovskikh et al.
1997; GEMS 1998; Chernogaeva 1998; Zhulidov et al. 1998,2000; Bryzgalo et
al. 2000). On the other hand, an increasing number of water-quality problems and
especially problems related to the quality of drinking water produced from surface
water have been reported in the literature (Chernogaeva 1998; El'piner 1999;
Kondratyev et al. 1999; Ivanov et al. 2000). Since surface water is a major source
for drinking water in the urban regions of Russia (Chernogaeva 1998; Prokhorova
et al. 2000), systematic and reliable information on the pollution status of the
water resources in Russia is needed to launch effective programs for the
preservation of the water resources as well as their sustainable management. This
chapter gives an overview on the results of a GermanlRussian research
cooperation that was initiated to study the water quality of the Oka River and
Moskva River in western Russia. The major topics of the project were: (1) the
development of a water-quality survey concept, (2) the assessment of the water
quality in the studied river system, (3) to study the influence of the Moskva River
on the water quality in the Oka River, (4) to identify sources of pollution, and (5)
generation of a database to assist the implementation of measures to improve and
protect the water quality in the studied rivers. The project was started in March
1996 and was finished in December 1999 (Frimmel and Gremm 2000). In October
2000, the German/Russian cooperation on water quality and river hydrology was
extended within the framework of a multidisciplinary research project entitled
"Volga/Rhine".