0000000000236505
AUTHOR
Elga Apsite
Assessment of the changes of COD and color in rivers of Latvia during the last twenty years
Analysis of long-term records of the concentrations of water color and chemical oxygen demand for nine river sites in Latvia is reported. The period of observations lasted for the last 20 years. Characteristic features of data include non-normal distributions, serial correlation, seasonality and presence of mostly significant downward trends. In Latvia, the main water quality changes could be explained by the changes of anthropogenic impact and the type of catchment management over the last 20 years.
Recent Change—River Run-off and Ice Cover
This chapter compiles and assesses information on run-off and discharge from rivers within the Baltic Sea drainage basin. Some information is also available on ice duration on inland waterways. Although decadal and regional variability is large, no significant long-term change has been detected in total river run-off to the Baltic Sea over the past 500 years. A change in the timing of the spring flood has been observed due to changes in the timing of snowmelt . Change in temperature seems to explain change in run-off better than does precipitation. Later start dates for ice formation on waterways, and earlier ice break-up dates have resulted in shorter periods of ice cover.
Sedimentary humic substances from lakes in Latvia
Humic and fulvic acids, isolated from sediments of lakes in different trophic states (Latvia) were studied. The humic substances (HS) were characterized by their elemental and functional composition, their spectral properties, and molecular mass. The humus properties strongly depend on the origin of the sedimentary HS. Substantial similarity between sedimentary HS from oligotrophic and dystrophic water bodies was found, unless the biology of these lakes greatly differs. Humic molecules from sediments of oligotrophic and dystrophic lakes are smaller, more uniform, and contain lower amounts of carboxyl- and hydroxyl-groups than HS from meso- and eutrophic water bodies. On the other hand, sedi…