Wolga-Rhein-project - first results of a study on Volga-sediment quality Pre-phase. Final report / Wolga-Rhein-Projekt - anorganische und organische Schadstoffe sowie Naehrstoffe in den Sedimenten der Unteren Wolga Abschlussbericht

Between 1997 and 1999 three field surveys in the Volga River and in its three most important tributaries: Kama, Oka and Sura were carried out to investigate the distribution of inorganic and organic pollutants in the river sediments. The investigations were planned as a part of a 'Pre-Phase' of a larger Russian-German 'Volga-Rhein-Project' to follow the previous 'Oka-Elbe-Project'. Within the frame of this research project sediments in the middle and lower course of the Volga river between the Gorki, Cheboksary, Kujbyshev, Saratov and Volgograd reservoirs and in three tributaries of the Volga river: Kama, Oka and Sura were investigated. Since fine grained surface sediments reflect the general condition of a water body with respect to heavy metals, major groups of organic pollutants and nutrients, the results of their investigation can be used for describing the present contamination or eutrophic status of a river, lake or marginal sea, as well as the situation in their catchment areas. Dated sediments from sediment cores with a continuous sequence of sediment layers contain the information of the environmental situation at the time of their deposition and are therefore witnesses of the historical development of contamination. (orig.) / SIGLE / Available from TIB Hannover: F01B667 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische Informationsbibliothek / Bundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany); Ministerstvo Nauki i Tekhnicheskoj Politiki Rossijskoj Federatsii, Moscow (Russian Federation) / DE / Germany