Ecology

Ecological situation of the Jewish Autonomous Region

1. Atmospheric air

The Hydrometeorological Bureau of Birobidzhan carries out monitoring of condition of atmospheric air. Supervision is held by the stationary station located in Birobidzhan, at Pionerskaya Street.

Within last five years extremely high levels of atmospheric air has not been registered, but the tendency of growth of annual phenol and formaldehyde in ground layers of the atmosphere of Birobidzhan was observed.

Table 1

Dynamics of pollution of atmospheric air in Birobidzhan
(average concentration of an impurity in air in maximum concentration limit)

A complex index of pollution of atmosphere characterizes the level of chronic, long air pollution. The index considers some impurities. Size of the index of air pollution depends on mid-annual concentration.

In 2008 the index of air pollution has made 11,07 but in 2007 it has made 11,4. In 2007 the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia has included Birobidzhan in the list of 135 cities of the Russian Federation where the level of pollution of atmospheric air is considered as high and very high.

The basic sources of pollution of atmospheric air in the regional center are the Birobidzhan Heating and power plant, MUP "Birobidzhanteploenergo”, State Enterprise "Oblenergoremont" and motor transport.

In 2008 in the territory of the region 36,045 thousand tons of polluting substances including 13,884 thousand tons (38,5 %) polluted by motor transport and 22,161 thousand tons (61,5 %) by stationary sources have been thrown out in the atmosphere.

The contribution to pollution of the atmospheric air is brought by forest fires, burning dumps of firm household waste in the territory of municipal formations. This kind of pollution is essential, but it’s not considered by statistics.

The construction of new and reconstruction of operating highways reduce negative influence of transit motor transport in atmospheric air in the regional center. In 2008 finished construction of on 1811 - 1817 km of the federal highway "Amur" Chita - Khabarovsk in the Obluchenskiy municipal district on the border with the Amur Region, section of a highway "Birobidzhan - Amurzet" on 100 - 107 km in the Leninskiy municipal district and on 191 - 196 km in the Oktyabrskiy municipal district have been put into operation.

2. Surface waters

About 5000 water-currents, small and average rivers flow in the territory of the region. In average on water content year the territory of the region gives a river drain in volume of 226,4 km3/ per 24 hours, which is mostly covered by the Amur River (221 km3/per 24 hours), the others 15,4 km 3/per 24 hours are covered by the Bira, Bidzhan, and Tunguska Rivers. A recharge of the rivers is mainly rain (70 %).

In 2008 the state enterprise "The Khabarovsk center on hydrometeorology and monitoring of environment functioning as the regional specialized meteorological center of the world weather service» conducted supervision on 6 water objects of the region, in 7 points of supervision, on 13 sections, 15 verticals sections and 15 horizons. Sampling of water was made in the basic phases of a water mode. The results of analyses of 81 tests of water are taken to characterize a chemical compound of water. In total 2369 analyses have been made.

By the results of supervision, all the rivers have remained "dirty", of the 4th class, the category "a" as well as in 2007. One case of extremely high and 2 cases of high pollution by lead compounds in the Leviy Khingan River has been revealed.

The elevated concentrations in water of iron, copper, zinc and lead compounds are mostly connected not with anthropogenesis influence, but with natural factors of formation of surface waters of the Amur River basin and also are specific as a whole for surface waters of the Far Eastern region. Occurrence of metals in water objects is caused by physiographic conditions. All water-currents are flowing in hillside, where ore-bearing deposits are concentrated.

Table 2

Dynamics of pollution of water in water-currents of the region
in points of supervision including complex estimation (UKIZV)

Improvement of water quality has happened in the Tunguska River, the 4th class of pollution "dirty" was replaced by the 3rd one "polluted".

In the Khingan River at Obluchye city deterioration of water was marked, from "very polluted" water passed in the 4th class - "dirty". Priority polluting substances were compounds of copper, iron and lead, which are determined as critical parameters of impurity of water. Their level of impurity is average. Impurity by other components is steady at an average and low level.

In 2008 near Nizhneleninskoye settlement the raised contents of chlorine organic pesticides (DDT) was fixed, and the maximal value in 7 maximum concentration limits was reached at the left, Russian, coast. Potential pollutants of waters of the Amur River are agricultural producers of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China.

During the summer period of 2008 water level in the Urmi River was very low. In the first decade of July there was a sharp recession of water level, which has led to separation of practically all gulfs of the Urmi, Tunguska, Kur Rivers. The great amount of fish has left in a bed of the Urmi River, the part of fish (basically, immature individuals of catfish, snakehead, crucian, pikes) has remained in creeks. High temperature of air and water has caused rapid development of seaweed in basins. Dying off phytoplankton has led to decrease of dissolved oxygen in water. The low contents of oxygen and high temperature of water have perniciously affected fish, especially the young of them. Small rise of water level has taken out died fish from creeks in the basic bed of the Urmi River, where it was periodically met by amateur fishermen. The mass mortality of fish during the summer period is caused by a hydrological mode of basins. There are no enterprises making dumps on a under control site of the Urmi River, pollution of basins by the Amur territorial management of the State committee on fishery of the Russian Federation is not revealed.

Principal cause of pollution of superficial water objects is dump of sewage. In 2008 14,62 million м3 drains were removed, including only 1,29 million м3 (8,82 %) standard pure drains. Dump of sewage without clearing and insufficiently cleared drains reduced a little.

Major pollutants of the Greater Bira River are treatment facilities of OOO “Housing and operational company" (Teploozersk settlement), OOO "Zhil-activ" (Londoko-zavod settlement), OOO "Birskiy kommunalschik" (Bira settlement), LIU-2 (Bira settlement), "Gorki" complex (Semistochniy settlement), MUP "Vodokanal” of municipal formation “The city of Birobidzhan", OOO "Kommunalschik of Dubovskoye selskoye poseleniye", OOO "Kommunalschik of Naifeldskoye selskoye poseleniye"

On length of a river with increase of anthropogenous influence the class of impurity of a river changes, it increases from 3 (moderately polluted) up to 5 (dirty). Below outlets of treatment facilities of MUP "Vodokanal" of the municipal formation "The city of Birobidzhan" influence of sewage is traced in increase in concentration of zinc, manganese, compounds of nitrogen, phosphates. Down the stream in 70 km process of autopurification of water and decrease of polluting components is marked.

3. Production and consumption wastes

The problem of recycling of solid waste is one of the important environmental problems of the Russian Federation, including the Jewish Autonomous Region.

In 2008 more than 110,68 thousand tons of waste of various classes of danger to a surrounding environment, including: 1 class - 2,29 tons, 2 classes - 15,84 tons, 3 classes - 1216,06 tons, 4 classes - 44777,2 tons, 5 classes - 64667,7 tons were formed.

The developed system of neutralization of solid domestic waste is based on a burial of the overwhelming majority of waste in dumps. The situation is aggravated with that because of absence of separate gathering of solid domestic waste in general containers, together with paper, polymeric, glass and metal containers, and food waste there medicines with delayed working life, broken mercury thermometers and luminescent lamps, containers with rests of pesticides, varnishes, paints, etc are thrown out. All of these materials in the guise of low-hazard solid domestic waste are taken out in dumps, which are more often arranged in developed pits, ravines, boggy places near to settlements that is inadmissible from ecologic and hygienic positions.

Not to carry far, wastes are thrown out in places, which are not intended for these purposes. Not authorized dumps are formed along automobile and railways, in places for vacation and bathing, around country and garden companies.