JPRS ID: 9331 WORLDWIDE REPORT ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

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• Content Type: REPORTS

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JPRS L/9331
6 October 1980
\l1/orldwide Re ort
p
E~lVIRONMENTAL QUALITY -
(FOUO 7/80) ~
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JPR5 L/933Y
6 October 1980
WORLDWIDE REPORT
ENVIRONM~NTAL ~UP,LITY
(FODU 7/80)
CONTENTS
EAST EUROPE -
_ CZECHOSLOVAKIA
' Chemical Industry Antipollution Alternatives
Jindrich H~'er� CHEMICKY PRUMYSL Ma 80
~ J > > Y ) 1 -
USSR
Lake Baykal Environment Discussed
(PROBLEMY BAYKALA, 1978) 8
WEST EUROP~
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
~
' Lake Geneva's Poilution Problem Described
_ (Sylvie 0'dy; L'EXPRESS, 9 Aug 80) 15 -
SPAIN
Pollution of Beaches Continues To Increase
. (CANIBIO 16, 13 Ju1 80) 18
- - a - [III - WW - 139 FOUO] ~
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CZECHOSLOVAKIA
UDC 66.002.68
- 614.71
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY ANTIPOLLUTION ALTERNATIVES
Prague CHEMICKY PRUMYSL in Czech No 5, May 80 pp 261-263
[Article by Jindrich Ho~er, Research Institute for Organic Compounds, Par-
, dubice-Rybitvi: "Selected Problems Relevant to Introduction of "Wasteless"
- Technologies"J
- [Text] The author deals with technical, economic and
organizational problems related to implementation of
technologies that do not pollute the environment. He -
� uses examples to show hok* aelected technical solutions
can be used to reduce zhP amount of wastes. -
Introduction
The current worldwide growth of industrial and agricultural production is
beginning :o be incompatible with protection of the environment. Annually
hundreds of thousands of tons ~f pollutants and wastes are released into the
atmosphere and into rivers and almoet the entire world is declaring war
against polluters ef the biosphere, which also include the chemical industry. '
In the CSSR the struggle to protect the living environment in the area of
7 streams is waged primarily on the basis of the water law of 1973, in force
since 1975, which within the framework of water management calls for use of
- both administrative measures (approval proceedings by water management
organs) and economic measure~ (obligation to pay damages for releasing `
effluents at annual water consumption exceeding 15,000 cubi~c meters, monetary ~
sanctions and direct penalties against peraonnel who cause the organization
to fail *o carry out one of its water management functions).
The chemical ~ndustry released in 1975 into water streams over 47,000 tons
~ of insoluble substances, over 637,000 T.ons of soluble substan:.es, corres- -
ponding to over 38,OG0 tons of BSKS (biological consumption of oxygen) and ~
over 135,000 tons of CHSK (chemical consumption of oxygen), accounting for
_ a share in overa:.l pollution by BSRS of 36 percent, and in the case of
insoluble substaiices to the extent of 23 percent. Fines for water pollution
amount in the chEmical industry up to 60 million Kcs ann+ially per economic _
production unit. The sub~ect of penalties in waste water are primarily the
' contents of insoluble substances, and biological consumption of oxygen.
1
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In the Sixth Five-Year Plan the CSSR spent over Kcs 2 billion for environ-
mental ~:rn�ection, in the Seventh Five-Year Plan the expenditure for the
same purpose is to amount to Kcs 3 bil:Lion.
One of the approaches to solving the conflict between production and environ-
ment is, without a doubt, use of,the so-called "wastefree" or "minimum waste"
tecluiologies. However, it aF~,ears sometimes as if this term is confused with
a magic wand, a mere wave of which manages to solve all the problems relevant ~
to the protection of the living environment. The subsequent test points ou~
selected problems pertaining to the solution of this extremely important
issue.
Generation of Unwanted Wastes
Unwax~ted wastes can be classified according to various criteria into individual
graups, e.g., organic and inorganic waste, soluble and insoluble waste, or
from the v:ewpoint of BSKS and CHSK. For our purposes it appears expedient
to determine the concept of generation of unwanted waste and divide the
_ latter into categories according to their origin.
' Waste Generated by Main or Secondary Reaction in Using Practi~ally Stoichio-
- metric Amounts of Initial Raw Ma.terials
- An example of generation of unwanted waste by main reaction in the sphere of
dyes and paints intermediate products is Bechamp's classic reduction of
aromatic nitro-~ubstances zo amino-substances during formation of ferro-
ferric sludge, formation of hydrogen chloride in chlorination of organic
substances, formation of alkalic sulfite during alkaYic melting of aromatic
sulfonic acids, etc. An example of the formation of unwanted substances by
a se~ondary reaction is formation of naphtalene-sulfonic acid in tne pro-
duction of 2-naphtol, formation of diethylaniline in the production of
- monoethylaniline, etc. This category comprises in general also formation
of unwanted polymer substances and condensation products.
Waste Generated Through the Necessity of Using Suprastoichiometric Amounts
- of a Single Raw Material
Use of excessive amount of one raw material against stoichiometry may be
~ motivated by the need to acc~lerate the progress of a chemical reaction,
cause a shift in chemical equilibrium, or by technological reasons (blen-
dabi.lity of a reaction compound, uae of one component as z reaction medium,
transportation of material, etc.). An example of such technologies can be
caustic fusion in an excess of alkaline lye, sulfonation of organic sub-
_ stances in sulfuric acid media, nitration in an excess of nitric sulfurj.c
- acid compounds, excess of ammonia in Bucherer's reaction, excess of alcohol
in esterification, etc.
2
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Waste Generated by the Necessity To Use Auxiliary Chemicals
_ This category can incorporate technological procesaes using auxiliary raw
materials that can be liquidated only with difficulty, e.g., Sandmayer's
reaction usiag Cu-cation or copper as catalyzer, anthraquinone chemistry
~ using mercury compounds as catalyzer, etc.; further it includes operations
in the chemistry of dyes and paints, such as salting out, liming, soda
treatment, and acidifying. The latter operatiuns applied to the production
of the so-called lettered acids are the source of the greatest amounts of
waste: turning out 1 ton of product generates approximately 12 ton~ of by-
- products, of which approxima.tely 4 tons constitute solid inorganic waste,
about 1 ton of organic waste and some 7 tons of inorganic waste dissolved
in approximately 70 cubic meters of water. Thus, these operations are the
most common source of the so-called salinity of waster waters. Let us point
, out that river water (fresh water) contains an average of 500 ppm of salts
(i.e., 0.5 gram per liter), semisalty water in river estuaries into the sea
around 1,000 ppm and sea water an average of 35,000 ppm. The above mentioned
economic production unit releases with waste some 340,000 tons of inorganic
- salts per year, meaning tha~. it "produces" around 10 million cubic meters
of sea water, which corresponds to the capacity of a good size dam.
Wa~te From Physical Qperations and Nontechnological Waste
i
This includes waste that can be categorized as distill.at'.::n residue, residue
from crystallization, extraction, residue from reconstituting of solvents,
- etc. Nontechnological waste comprises drippings from pumgs and armatures,
water from cleaning of facilities, steaming of storage tanks, etc.
Let us now examine the paths which could be instrumental in alleviating or
even elininating formation of such unwanted waste.
- Possibilities for Elimination or Alleviation of Wastes
Retaining the Present T'echnology and Utilize Waste
_ An example of such a procedure is purification of waste hydrochloric acid
from chlorinatic,~. ~f organic substances, or purification of sodium sulfite
from the production of 2-naphtol.
Modification of Technology
= An example of this approach can be use of more selec':ive catalyzers, recovery
of excess raw materials, such as ammonia in Bucherer's reaction, alcohol
- during esterification, returning unwanted products into the production cycle
in balanced reactions, e.g., reclaiming diethyl aniline in the production of
_ ~ monoeth~l aniline, or, finally, a suitable substitution of raw materials.
An example mr~y be use of acid ion exchangers as esterification catalyzer in
lieu of sulfuric acid, or substitution of or~ginal acidifying of Tobias'
acid by inorganic acid while acidifying Tobias' acid by oxy-Tobias' ac{d and
: thus closing the production cycle.
3
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Of effective help in this sphere can be utilization of the principle of the
maximum driving gradient. As things are, in chemical technology most chemical
or physical processes progress in such a manner that they can be described ,
- by differential equations of the first order. It is then up to the actual
arrangement to achieve optimum conditions. An illustrative example can be -
provided by a heat exchanger which in the selected specific case in _
"parallelflow" arrangement has a 100 percent efficiency, in "crossflow"
- arrangement has a 100 percent eff iciency, in "crossflow" arrangement 125
percent, and in "counterflow" arrangPment 145 percent. Similarly, durin~
extraction i~z one stage it is possible in a certain specific case to obtain
- an 80 percent yield, by dividing the extraction agent into three stages the
yield can be 92 percent, and counterflow arrangement yields 98,8 percent.
These examples show that through a suitabie, i.e., counterflow, arrangement
it is possible to attain--in otherwise equal conditions--decidedly better
resulta. For counterflow arrangement of a reaction the most suitable is the
- distillation column type reactor with which surp~-ising results were obtained,
e.g., in counterflow chlorination or esterification of acetic acid.
By means ~f a suitable arrangement it is possible to substantially increase,
e.g., effectiveness of scrubbing suspensions, or improve utilization of
reactor capacity b} dividing one reactor volume ~.nto a cascade of reactors,
whereby tlie greatest change can be expected to occur during transfe~ from a
single reactor to two reactors.
In all of the above examples the principle of maximum driving gradient is
adhered to, thus ~iarxanting optimum condu~t of individual processes from -
the viewpoint of their velocity.
Replacing Entire Technology or One of Its Key Junction Points by New Waste- _
free Technology
_ An example of such problem solution is, ~.g., substitution of Bechamp's
classical reduction using iron by catalytic hydrogenation, or, e.g., changing
- the origir.al classical technology of eulfonatic phenol, based on sulfonation -
of benzene and caustic fusi~n, by cumene phe.lol technology; another example -
can be replacement of Sandmayer's reaction, i.e., intrile group into an
aromatic core, by amoxidation process in the gaseous phase, etc.
. Analogically, in some technological processes it is p~s~iule to replace
only individual production steps, e.g., class~ical sulphonation of napntol
during production of Tobia:,' acid can be replaced by dissolving sulfonation
by means of chlorosulph.onic acid, wtiereby thE latter is obtained from cir-
culating hydrogen chloride and oxide sulfide as the actual sulfonation ag~r.t.
Another such example is an attempt to replace classical separation of
suloacids by salting by a technology based ~n a cyclical crystallization
- process which itself is base3 on varying temperature dependency as regards
solubility of the separated substances, which fdcilitate~ devising a closed -
crys*_allization cycle without fermatiun of unwa;nted waste~
4
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Advantages and Di~advantages of Individual Approaches
If, in evaluating the individual apgroaches to elimination of unwanted waste~
we use efficiency criteria from the viewpoint of ecology, expenditure of
time and funds as regards research and implementation, then we arrive at
the following conclusions:
Minor modifications of technology, such as use of more selective catalyzers,
change in technological condi~ions (temperature, pressure, concentration),
reclaiming of reaction compone;~ts and use of maximum driving power are less
demanding as regards time and funds, but their contribution from the view-
point of ~-cology is small to medium;
More substantial modifications of technology, such as substitution of -
technology at a given ~;roduction step, intr~duction of flammables into
classical productions that previou~ly used aq~ieous solutions, introduction
of c].osed cycle~, purification of waste matter, elimination of waste in
salting, wet combustion, etc., pose medium demands duri.ng implementation in
terms of time and funds, but the resultant effect is better viewed from the ~
_ ecolagical standFoint;
, Introduction of new ";aaste-free" technologies, 4r new "closed" technologies
to replace extant tect~nologies ia highly efficient from the technological
viewpoint, but is demanding as far as time and funda are concerned.
In most cases it will be axiomatic for the chemical industry that costs that -
will h~ve to be expended will rise in direct proportion to the degree of -
effectiveness~ achieved in elimination of wastes.
It will also be necessary to adhere ~o the principle that is proving its
worth in medicine: generation of waste must be pre~er~ted by modifying pro-
duction technology beforehand, rather than by trying to eliminate generated _
w~,ste ex post facto,
Conr_lus ion
It can be stated in general that solution of ecological problems will always
be a complex and demanding taek as regards technology, funds, and time,
which can be successfully c~ped with only by close cooperation of personnel -
from resedreh and design organiza~ions, personnel of the implementing con-
tractor, supply organizations and personnel of superior organs.
It will be necessary to create conditions conducive to furthering their
activities in solving ecological problems and introducing "wastefree" `
technologies. -
Research and design personnel will be primarily concerned with introductian
of new, mostly catatytic technologies with re~_�ycling. Research into such _
techn~logies, comp~red to technologies based on "one pass operation," is
~ 5
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much mure complicared specifically because of the posstbiiity of accumulatian
of various impurities, or catalytic toxins in recycling. Carrect deter-
mination of the levels of suc:: impurities, or catalytic poisons, calls for
very thorough familiarization with individual processes, primarily by using
exact and sensi ive anal}~tical methods. Technolo~y with recycling alone
will require a knowledgeable chemical engineering approach. Improving the
select~.vity of production processes will call for measuring, control and
automation of pi~duction processes, as well as for utilization of equipment
and instrumentation facilitating maxirnwn use of driving power, such as
counterflow arrangement for extractors, absorption devices, wast~ing and
scrubbing facilities, chemical reactors,etc. All this will manifest itself
in increased demand on the qua:.ifications of personnel, time and funding -
schedules for research tasks, time and funding schedules for implementation
of the results, as well as demanc?s on instrumentat~on and equipment for
individua.l work stations.
The plar~ts implementing such measures will have to, among a number of other
measures, focus their atten*_ion on edifying their personnel toward supporting -
- implementation of new technologies, even though they be more expensive than -
pre5ent systems which often make use of amortized machinery in depreciated
inatallations. Such productions are "cheap" as regards production cost
calculatians, but pose a significant danger to the environment by the wastes ~
they gt.~.~erate. This kind of iow price is maintained at the high cost of ~
polluting the living environment. This is to be countered by penalties as _
_ an economic instrument. However, assessment of penalties is taken as if it
~ did not appZy to individual operations, it is thought of as applying to
the plant as a whole and is not sufficiently directed towards individual
operations. Consideration will have to be given to taking measures which
would let penalties apply to operational level, so that its personnel can -
feel its impact "personally." And penalty assessment wi11 also have to be
expandec: to "salinity" of waste waters.
Finally, specific measures will have to be tak.en also at the level of control
_ organs. There is no doubt that implementation of "wast~free" technologies
will in most cases require increases in research, investment and operational
costs.
As an example we can cite data from the USSR, where in the production of
benzene it became necessary to provide supplementary investment funds _
- amountin~ to 960,000 rubles to attain a wastefree technology, whereby pro-
duction cost per ton of benzene increased by alm~st 27 percent and specific
- investn~ent, recomputed per ton of benzene, increased from 171 rubles per
ton to 217 rubles per ton. At first glance, wastefrPe technology would
then appear to be economically ineffective. However, when an assessment
- was made of the overall detrimental effects on the national economy with a
view to local losses in forestry, agricultural and communal economy, medicine,
industry, etc., ~.t was determined tha.t total damages amounted to 2 million
rubles per year. From this viewpoint wastefree technology compared to the
old technology became more effective.
_ ~
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If, however, the criterion for- =;~~~r-:~~ration of tasks is solely the economic
effect computed by means of valid criteria, then solutions to tasks of the
"wastefree" technologies type have a hard time--given the current planning
methodology--to be included among the tasks for research. It would appear
advisable therefore to lncorporate among the criteria for in.clusion into
research tasks also contributi~.ns in the biosphere.
Thus, it will take a number of activities and measures to enable "wastefree"
technologies--n.ot in the role of a deus ex machina, but as the result of
conscious efforts of all participants--t~ carry out, in spite of their
technolo~ical and economic demands, ~heir i.mportant mission in the struggle
to maintain and improve our liv ing environment.
~
COPYRIGHT: SNTL, Nakl~datelstv i Technicke I.iteratury, Prague 1980
8204
CSO: 5000
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USSR
UDC 551.481.1+577.472/28(285.23)
LAKE BAYKAL ENVIRONMENT DISCUSSED
. Novosibirsk PROBLEMY BAYKALA in Russian 1978 pp 2, 3-7, 294-295
/Table of contents, annotation and foreword from the book "Prob.lemy Baykala"
(Problems of Baykal) edited by Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of
Sciences G. I. Galaziy and Doctor of Geographi~al Sciences K. K. Votinstev,
Institute of Limnology, Siberian Department of the USSR Academy of Sciences,
Izdatel'stvo "Nauka", 295 pages/ -
/Text/ Contents Pa~e
Foreword. G. I. Galaziy, I. P. Gerasimov, L. L. Rossolimo. 3
Part I. The Origination and Formation of the Depression of the Lake
Chapter 1. History of the Lake. N. A. Florensov 9
Chapter 2. Exogenous Relief-Forming Processes in the Depression.
V. P. Agafonov, Yu. P. Parmuzin . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 3. General Descripti~n of the Relief of the Underwater
Section. B. F. Lut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 4. Sedimentation. I. B. Mizandruntsev . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Chapter 5. Chemical Composition of the Solid Phase of the Bottom
Sediments. L. A. Vykhristyuk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
= Part II. Physical Geographical Conditions
Chapter 6. Climate. N. P. Ladeyshchikov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 =
Chapter 7. The Hydrologic Balance and Water Reso~irces. A. N.
Af anas' yev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 _
Chapter 8. Optical Properties of the Waters and. Penetrating Solar
Radiation. P. P. Sherstyankin, T. N. Dovgiy. 73
Chapter 9. Dynamics of tk~e Waters. V. I. Verbolov 87
Chapter 10. Thermal Conditions. M. N. Shimarayev. 102
Chapter 11. Ice C~nditions. V. M. Sokol'nikov . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Chapter 12. Chemical Hydrology. K. K. Votintsev . . . . . . . . . . 124
Part III. The Ylant World
Chapter 13. Flora and Vegeta~ion. A. P. Skabichevskiy 146
- Chapter 14. Phytoplankton. G. I. Popovskay3 . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Chapter 15. Primary Production. K. K. Votintsev, A. I. Meshche-
ryakova, G. I. Popovskaya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 -
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Part IV. Invertebrate Fauna _
Chapter 16. The Fauna, Its Peculiarities, Origin and Evolution.
F. G. itiiazepova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Chapter 17. Zooplankton. E. L. Afanas'yeva . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Chapter 18. Ecological Stru~ture and Productivity of *_h~ Bottom
Population. V. V. Cherepanov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 -
Part V. Fish a-~3 the ;verpa
Chapter 19. Fisti. Ye. A. Koryakov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21II
Chaptei 20. Fish Resources and Their Use. B. K. Moskalenko, A. M.
Mamontov, V. D. Pastukhov, V. V. Smirnov, S. Smirnova. 229 _
Chapter 21. The Use of Mathematical Models for Solving the Problems
of Optimizing the Conditions of the Utilization of the
Omul. V. V. Kontorin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Chapter 22. The Nerpa. V. Pastukhov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Chapter 23. The Bioenergetic Structure of the Ecosystem of the Pela-
gic Zcr,e. K. K. Votintsev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Conclusion. G. I. Galaziy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . '267
Annotation .
Materials of the long-term study of Lake Baykal in the most diverse direc- -
tions are given in the collective monograph. The problems of the formation
of the basin of the reservoir, its neotechtonics, the structure of the under-
_ water topography, geomorphology and morphometry are examined. The hydrology _
of the lake--the thermal con~itions and heat balance, the dynamies of the
water bodies and the radiation conditions--are discussed. The composition
of the water, the hydrochemical conditions, the chemical runoff and the bal-
ance of matter, the circulation of individual elements ar~ characterized.
- The origin and evolution of the fauna and flora of the lake, their composi-
tion, degree of endemism and b iogeographical connections are spoken about.
_ Questions of biological productivity, be~inning witn the primary produc*_ion -
- of phytoplankton, through zooplankton to the ichthyofauna and mammalia
(fish, the nerpa) are discussed. The proces~es of the transformation of
organic matte~ in the food chain of the pelagic zone are characterized
quantitatively.
The book will be of interest for a wide range of specialists--limnolo gists,
geographers, geologists, chemical hydrologists and hydrologists, hydrobiolo- _
_ gista and ichthyologists, workers of the national economy, who are involved
with problems of the efficient use of the natural resources of the lake and '
its wat~rshed, as we11 as instructors, graduate ~tudents and students of
- higher educ.ational institutions.
Foreword
The results of lengthy studies of the largest reservoir of. clean fresh water
in the wor.ld--Lake Baykal--are summarized in this book. The decree of the
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CPSU Central Conar?ittee and USSR Council of Ministers of 16 June 1971, "On
Additional Measures to Ensure the Effic ient Use and Conservation of the ~
Natural Resources of the Watershed of Lake Baykal,"* and other instructions
of the party and the government have given a certain purposefulness and spe-
cificity to the activity of scholars. Tr,e studies are most closely con-
nected with the developmer.t of the productive forces of Siberia.
The excep tional uniqueness of Baykal among the largest lakes of the world is
universdlly recognized. But it is not always apprais~d with adequate
breadth and depth. Meanwhile a clear idea of what truly imparts to Baykal
a uniqLe and inimitable nature is of the greatest importance for the correct -
solution of the problems of the most ef ficient use of the natural resources -
' of thz lake and its watershed, oa the one hand, and the preservation of
the ~.uiique properties characteristic of it, on the other.
Lake Baykal has a large nurnber of features, which place it in an exception-
al position. In depth (1,620 m) it greatly exceeds all the continental
- water bodies of the world, while in the volume of the body of water
(23,600 km3, or about one-fifth of the world reserves of surface fresh
wster) it exceeds all the fresh water lakes of the world. The bottom of the
Baykal basin lies 1,165 m below the surtace of the world ocean. The mor-
phology of the basin is also unusual. Let us take such morphometric indi-
cators of it as the average depth, that is, the ratio of the volume of the _
water body to its surface (V/A = 700) an.3 the magnitude of the ratio of the
average depth to the greatest depth (Haver~~max - 0. 43) . Their values indi-
cate the enormous volumE of the deep-water area and the limitedness of the
littoral shoals.
It is well known that Baykal is a very cold lake. The average annual tem-
perature of the surface waters is about 4.5�C, In the summer it does not
exceed 11-12�. While the entire enornious body of water, which occurs
deeper than 250 m, has year round an almost invariable temperature of
3.2-3. F�.
The waters of Baykal are notable for exceptional transparency, which is the
greatest ia general for lakes, and for a remarkable blue-green color of.
varying intensity. Both attest to the great "cleanness" of the Baykal
waters, that is, the minimum content in them of suspended particles of _
varying composition.
But, undo ubtedly, the most ou*_standing feature of the reservoir consists in
the richenss and diver~ity of its fauna and flora, which acquired world -
renoFin af ter the remarkable discoveries of B, I. Dybovskiy in the second
half of the 19th century and later fauna studies. Of the 2,400 species and
subspecies of the hydrobiota of Baykal about three-fourths are endemic. -
Among the hycirophytes abo ut 500 species are endemic. But in the appraisal
*"Spravochnik partiynogo rabotnika" /Handbook of the Party Worker/,
Issue 12, Moscow, 1972, p 76.
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_ of the uniqueness of the Baykal fauna the fact that not only species, but
also entire genuses and higher taxonomic units--families of living inhabit-
' ants of this lake--are endemic, should be considered especially importanr.
It would also be possible to indicate other characteristic features of Bay-
kal. But none of them, takea separately, reveals completely the uniqueness
of this reservoir as a complicated natural complex, as a unique and inimi-
- :.able ecosystem. _
Du~ing the s~ientif ic study of Baykal not only was the kno~aledge of individ-
- ual ieatures of its uniqueness, as well as of the entire history of ttie
formation of the giant intermontane depressian increased,but the ideas about
the genetic links between ~he individual components of the unified ecosys-
- tem of Baykal and about the laws of the combination in it of specific physi-
y
- cal, chemical and biologica7 processes were extended. It is bPCOming more
and more obvious that precisely these interrelations with the physico- and
biogeographical features of Baykal distinguish it from all other lakes of
the world, in which both the individual components of the limnic processes
and their interrelations are simpler and not as individual as in the Baykal
- reservoir.
The causes of the uniqueness of the BaVkal limnic complex and the means of
its formation have not yet been fully studied. ThPre are serious grounds ~
to expl3in this uniqueness by the antiquity of the formation of the giant ~
intermontane depressions of the Stanovoye Uplift, in one of which, apparent- _
ly back at the end oi the Tertiary, a system of lakes, the predecessor of
modern Baykal, began the path of its origination. Over a long period unique
landscapes formed in the watershed of Baykal and on the slopes of its
basin. Under the conditions of such landscapes a water, chemical and solid
_ runoff fromthe cdtchment of the lake was formed and its components acquired
greater and greater uniformity. The entire complex of bottom hyd.rochemical
and biological processes, which determine the high quality of the clean
waters with an extremely small content in them of dissolved and suspended
substances and the constancy of the composition, also formed under the same
stable conditions. The diverse organic ties of the lake reservoir with its
watershed were most fully expressed precisely in this.
The origin of the unique endemic fauna znd flc~ra is inseparably connected
_ with the antiquity of Bayka.l, with all the complexity of its coming into
being, the formation of the morphological features of its basin and the
physical geographical peculiarities of the watershed. There is no doubt
that the existence of endemic. hydrobiota is possible only in the presence of
specific chemical and physical properties of the waters--their low mineral- _
ization, the ionic composition, great transparency and a constant low tem-
perature. But the fauna of Baykal is connect~d not only 4~ith these proper-
ties of its waters. It is also possible to suggest other, still inadequate-
ly studied, but very important peculiarities of the water environment,
which play a significant role in the preservation of the endemism of the
fauna and flora. Cases, which confirm this assumption, are well known.
Suffice it to recall the existence in Baykal of two complexes of hydrobiota--
1~
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the Bay'~.a.lan and general Siberian (littoral-sor)--which to a certain extent
have been localized and are spatially isolated. It is alsc possible to in- -
dicate the limited capability of individual Baykal endemfc plants ta be
transplanted in other reservoirs.
Without dwelling in more detail on Chese questions, let us note: what has
been said far from exhausts what we now already know about the close inter-
relations of the biological and abifltic components of the Baykal ecosystem.
Undoubtedly the connections, which arose under the conditions of the great
~ antiquity of Baykal and acquired constancy and stability, precisely lend the
Baykal ecosystem its unique nature. Such ~r at least similar continental
water ecosystems no longer exist on earth.
It is therefore quite understandable that the problems of the maximum and L
effective use and at the same time the conservation of the natural re-
sources of Baykal and j.ts watershed, given the present development of eco-
nomic activity, are exceptionally complicated. t~bviously, none of the -
- patterns and norms, which are suitable for other conditions 2nd regions, can
give here a reliable solution to the problem. The sharply pronounced in-
dividual nature of the Baykal ecosystem also requires only an individual
approach to it. -
As a result of long and diverse scientific studies extensive material on the -
natural conditions and peculj.arities oi� the lake has been accumulated, a
number of scientific conclusions and generalizations of general theoretical
importance have been drawn. The knowledge of individual aspects of the
. over311 conditions of Baykal has reached a level, which has afforded an op-
portunity for their use in the solution of crucial practical problems. It
is possible to mention the rather complete knowledge of the hydrologic bal-
ance and its level conditions for the valid forecasting and regulation of
~ the conditions of the operation of the Angara cascade of reservoirs. The
data on the hydrochemical conditions, the low mineralization and the con-
stancy of the ionic composition of the waters were of definite importance
_ in discuasing the question of their use for the production of high-grade ~
cellulose.
At the sacne time much in the complicated Baykal ecosystem still remains un- -
clear, and we cannot give a confident answer to a large number of important
- questions. Deep differences over them continue to exist among specialists
in various fields of sciencP and practice and the debates, which often as- -
sume a pointed and fundamental nature, are not ending.
Altinough, in t~e unanimous opinion of the participants in the 19th Inter- -
national Limnological Congress, Baykal is considered the best studied among
the ma~jor lakes of the world, we cannot be content with the state of the
study of qsestions of the possible use of its renewable and unrenewable
_ resources. There are no completely sound estimates to the level of develop-
ment of the productive forces in this region in the future and the limits
of the concentration here of industrial and other works, in case of which -
it would be possible to preserve the ecosystem of the lake, have not been
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estimated. The inadequacy of such scientific knowledge is becoming more
and more perceptible at this time, when the rapidly growing economic de-
velopment of Eastern Siberia, including Baykal and its watershed, requires
the making oL sound decisions for the n~ar and distant future.
I
It is not to be doubted and no one denies that the ancient and unique Bay- j
kal ec:osystem, the exceptional qualities of the Baykal waters and all the ,
, natural factorG and conditions, which create and maintain them, should be ;
preserved as the only natural phenomenon of its kind, the greatest national ~
valuable and pride of the Soviet Union. A11 this should be preserved both ,
- as a resource of much practical knowledge for the future and as the habitat
of the Baykal hydrobiota and ancient endemic fauna and as a condition uf !
_ its reproduction. In other words, the links of the individual components ;
of the entire Baykal ecosystem, which constitute its unity, should remain
_ undestroyed.
These problems face science first of all and require the strict orientatioti ,
of all research.
However, wa do not yet have adequate scientific data on the nature, direc-
tion and extent of the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on some
aspects of the conditions of Baykal in the broadest sense of the word. -
PurposeE~~?_ research work, with the extensive organization of observations
and t!ia conducting of experiments, which ha.ve been worked out with allowance
made for the natural conditions of Baykal an3 its wat~rshed, is obviously
necessary in this area.
Two main directions can be distinguished in the research. The goal of the
first is the elaboration of the theoretical bases of scientific recommenda- ~
tions, which in the area of forest use would ensure the constant mainten-
- ance of the water conser~ation properties of the Baykal taiga, while in the -
- area of agricultural use wouid eli~inate the threat of the development of
erosion and aeolian processes within the watershed of Baykal. The sec~nd "
direction is the study of the links between the changes in the conditions _
of the formation of the liquid, dissolved and solid runoff on the catchment
- of the watershed of Baykal ar~d the disturbances of che main indicators of
the conditions of the lake. Quantitative ~xpressions should be found for
characterizing the links, whi.ch is necessary for the calculations of fore- _
- casts and the substantiation of practical recommend~tions.
The elaboration of the scientific principles of the use and conservation of _
the natural resources of Baykal and its wate~shed in its scale and complex- _
ity is unprecedented in world science. The fact that in this case scientif-
ic decisions are being given for the socialist plan~ied economic and social- !
ist economics, is also new. This makes it clear that success i.n the elab-
- oration of the problems of Baykal should be ensured by t~he participation o~ _
- creative collectives, which include an extensive group of snecialists of ~
- our country.
The topicality of the monograph on the studies of Baykal, which is being
offered to the attention of the readerG- in many ways is increasing in
.
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- connection with the constructior of the Baykal-Amur Main Rail Line (BAM). _
~ The main line will pass over a considerable stretch along the watershed of
the lake. An influence of BAM on the natur a? balance i;~t.he region of Bay-
kal is inevitable.
For c~nvenience oF perception of the material the offered book is broken
_ down into 5 thematic par*_s and 23 chapters. Each section begins with a -
brief history of the studies on the questions ex.amined in it. The outcome
of the studies, the evaluation of their re sults and Fractical re~ommenda- '
tions are given in the chapters. In the conclusion of the monograph the `
reader will find t~1e m~st impo~�tant conclus ions and recommendations on all ~
the main issues touched upon in it and a program of further scientific re-
search for the purpose of elaborating the most effici_ent methoas of tlte
use and conservation of the natural resourc es of a unique region of our
homeland.
COPYRIGHT: Izdatel'stvo "Nauka", 1978
7807
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INi'ERNATIONA.-~ AF~'AIRS
- LAKE GENE~A' S POLLUTION I'ROBI,Ert DESCRIBED
~aris L'EXPRE�S in French 9 ~ug 80 pp 1-2
[Article by Sylvie 0'dy: "Lake Geneva: Flawed Beauty!"~
[Text] "As T turned 13, I had to�leave sr.hool to help iny �ather, a fisherman,
. I still remember tt~e lake's morning smell in summer. There were hay-mown
sweet smells in the air. If thix�sty, I would just drl:nk. its water directly.
Then, in the village, a dozen families were making a living from fishing,
Today, there are only two lett, and nobo~y dreams of drinking 1Gke water."
~'aul Jaquier, Yvoire's mayor, a picturesque village on Lake Geneva's French
shores, nostalgically recalls these happy times, when m~dern activities had
- not }�Pt ~iad an impact on lake waters.
Created some ~20 centuriesago, as a product of the last major glaciation, the
largest lake in Western Europe had since li~�ed in peace. But in just 25 years,
this preciously created eqiiil~.brium has ~een destroyed. La.ke Geneva which
still appears in fine condition, surrounded by mountains and hills, has now
becor~e gravely ill. A peaceful ;nood envelops everything, sail boats and sail
surfers glide silently on its surface. Who could belieti�e that such a quiet
mass of ~water is dying?
It was f.irst noted, 20 years ago, by fishermen who s~arted collecting abnormal
amounts of algae in their nets. The~r we~e astonished, then alarmed--specialists
too. But ecology was not in fashion yet. However, [he two riparian countries--
France and Switzerland--decided to create a very of.ficial "Lake T~latch Committee",
in 1960, By November 1967, .E~r the first time, scientists discovered a micro-
' scopic algae "oscillatoria rubescens'', v~hich cclors water red, thus commonly
_ kn~wn as "Burgundians' blood" to recall Charles the Bo].d and its defe~~t at
Grandson. There could not be anymore douot: such a proliferation is an
undE~niable sign of wat.c~r :in a diseased str~te.
Chars' Uemise
What ails Lake Geneva? Eutruphication. Tliis auomaly well lcnown of limnologist~,
or lake specialists, manifests its~lf. by increased water turbidityti an explo-
sive development of certain a]f;ae, a growin~ scarcity of fisll species among
the most prizec? ones. It i.s produced by excessive in.puts of phospt~orus and
nitrogen, which induce an abnor,na.1 gr.owth cf phytopl.anktor..
15
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rucc urrl~l.~~ U5~ U1vi_,z
These algae, as they die, wil.l ~ettle on ~bottoms. '.l'hey should normally get
- mir,eralized, through oxidation by dissolvecl oxygen. But in an eutrophied
lake, waste material is present in excessive quantities. Ecologic equilibrium
= is clestroyed. Slowly, lake bottom layers are deprived of oxygen and die.
, According to ?ean-Bernard Lachavanne--a scientist at the Geneva Universiey
laboratory for plant biology--who is presiden~C of recertly far.med Lake Geneva
Defense Association: "Our ?.ake suffers both respiratory ills and chronic
indigestion."
As could be expected, the inputs of nhospnqcrus and nitrogen responsiUle Ior ~
this problem are man-made. Shoreline pop~zlatian and industrial development
has multiplied tox:.c wastes 3umped i.nt-o L�ake Gene~~~.. Su~face runoffs from
fields chock-full with fertilizers do also contribute to its pollution. True,
_ every urban and industrial waste waters are supposed to be treatea before
d9.scharging them into lake waters. But phosFhorus removal, which can be
done througfi a special process, is far fr~m being tctal. Some water treatment
plants do not have the required equtpment. Thonon-les-Bains plant, for
instance, will not tie effective be~ore next fall. Others are improperly used.
In 1979, only 15 of the 57 water treatment plants located around the i3kP basin
were releasing treated waters with phosphorus levels within legal limits.
There is another worry: mercury, feared since the Minamata Bay inci~ient in
Japan. T.t was di:scovered, in 1972, that Lake Geneva ~aas receiving some 10
to 15 kilogs of iner~ury per day. This heavy metal can move through the whole
. food chain, and man can be poisoned by eating contaminated fish. Luckily,
- this extreme situation has not been reached. Gourmets can enjoy lake fish
fries without fear. Analy~es have indicated that mercury levels in fishes
are below the limits recommended by World Health Organization. But some 50
met~ic tons of inercur~ are already accumulated on the late bo*_tom. Sharply
admanished, Swiss chemical plants located along the Rhone River, up stream from
Lake ~~eneva, have done their utmost to control this: now, they release only
half a kiJog of inercury per day.
Eas tr.e lake been saved? The unanimous answer from fishermen on both sides
is no. Most prized fishes--char and dace--are slowly di.sappearing; replaced
by more resistant species--roach and stickleback--not much appreciated by
gourmets. Perch, which were still numerous a few years back, have also
become rare. Logically, fishing regulations should be modified. But Swiss
and French fishermeu have never been able to settla on a fishing agreement.
And nobody wants tc~ operate under more stringent rules than his neighbor does.
Last October, a local Swiss television station did broadcast an in-derth program
under the title "Lake Geneva`s Last Gap~." The same program was shown in the
French village A1linges, early last July, by the Lake Defense Association. It
has scared its viewers. Local elected officials do feel somewhat powerless.
"It makes us sick to see our lake in such shape;'states Paul Jacquier. "tt
is a critical juncture, all can bP lost. But the problem is no more on a
scale where local communities can solve it alone. The two countries must
act swiftly."
].6
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Rene Monod, secretary of Franco-Swiss Lake Watch Committee, remains optimistic.
He refers to a recent decision of rh~ ~~.ty of Geneva to financially backup
- all shoreline coi~unities which r~m~ve phosphorus from their wa~te waters.
~ 'Prue, Geneva is in a somewhat privii~ged situation. It gets its drinking
~ water from the lake and, contrary to other conununities, its urban waste waters
are dis~~harged into the Rhone n~ver wirhout having to be freed of phosphorus,
a costly treatment. Will this Genevese initiative trigger follow-up actions
from Swiss and French authorities?
Lakes can die, as we have learned recently. In Savoy, Bourget Lake came elose
to dying. Asphyxiated by catastrophic eutrophication, it was not attracting -
s~immers or tourists much anymore. Its beauty hardl~ covered up the extent
oF damage. Whi.le its natural capacity to dispose of phosphorus was 30 metric _
tons per year, Bourget Lake actually received some 300 metric tons; three- -
quarters of it produced by Chambery and its industry! An intarcommunal
waste water aut}lority for Chambery an3 Aix~les-Bains, ~acked-up by state -
aut}iorities, did undertake a major pro~ect to restore lake quality. The
solution retained: to collect all waste waters of shoreline urban areas .
and industries after primary treatment and discharge them directly ir.to
the Rhone River. A gigantic and expensive project, which requireci driving
a 12 km tunnel through Chat mountain. This tunnel was put in operation last
January. t'~ndre Blin, head of intercommunal authority for Aix-les-Bains and
main promoter of the project, cannot hide his joy: "It is an extraordinary
_ enterp~ise. The water has already almost regained its transparency "
I'ierre Ealland, in charge cf water quality control at the Water, Forest and
Agricultural Engirieeering center in Aix-les-Bains is more reserved. In his `
opinion, only af.ter 1 or 2 years will results have to be judged. But he
does not doub*_ the efficacity of the action accomplished: "A shock treatment
was required, a surgical intervention. This has been done."
Annecy Reborn
What satisFy some peoples may not always please others. Shoreline communities
along the Rhone Ri~ver are certainly not happy. Arguing against wha* they
label "a pollution transfer," 24 of thet~~ went to court to block right of
eminent domain granted to the proiec*. They lost their case in the administra-
tive court in. Grenoble. Should ons of the most beautiftil lakes in the world
- be sacrif:Lced, when Rhone running waters can more easily absorb this pollution?
- Rescuing the great alpine lakes has n~w become a sort vf crusade. Because
action was done in r_ime, battle for Annecy Lake was a victory.
Ear1y in the six~ies, the concerned communities had taken up the problem.
Tl~ey built a main cullcctor around the ~ntire lake to direct waste waters to
a single water r_reatment plant, which effluent is then discharged down stream
into Fier River. Following the system start-up, tourists are flocking around
Annecy L~ke; char proliferate anew in waters which are transparent again. _
This suc~essful rescue has given heart to limnologists. But Lake Geneva is
another question altogethe~: w~th 89 cubic kilometers of water
it is a giant in comparison to Annecy Lake. And there
has been a s.uspiciot~, since diplodocuses had some fatal problems, that
rightfully giants are more vulneraiile than midgets.
COPYRIGHT: 1980, S.S. Groupe Express
~ 9627 17
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~ SPAIN
POLLUTICN OF BEA~HES CONTINUES T~ INCREASE ~
i~fadrid C.AMBIO 16 in Spanish 13 JuI 80 pp 72, 74
[rext] As if the two horsemen of the apocalypse rid ing on
the Spanish beaches these days--ETA [Basque Fatherland and
Liberty Group] (p-m) bombs and pricea--were not enough, a
third onE has made its inexoiable appearance: the con-
tamination of waters that should be pure and clear.
And neither the omnipoten~ administration nor the terrorists are to blame
for thia. Yet this can be as dangerous as an ETA bomb and as worrisome as
one of the ma~or problems afflicting the State. Becaus�= the contamination
: snd the filthiness of the watera of our ahores are the sourc es of diseases. ~
And wrhile the~:bombs of some psyclzogaphic ter.~or~sts frighten the touriata,
waters that carry diaeases can devastate the foreign and d~mestic tourism
that anxiously seeks the Spanish sun these days.
As if the ETA bombs and the outrageous prices of the Spanish coast were not
enough, the Ministry of Health has come up with an irrefutab le and disturbing
- report; Spanish coasts do not provide the minimu~ hygienic or esthetic
conditions to ensure tihe health and enjoyment of vacationers. -
It is true, of course, that not all the beaches are contaminated. But
according to the report, there are few Yeft that are clean and clear.
Figure~s show 3.t. Of the 174 sample resorts e:camined by the Ministry of
Health, 82 proved dangercus to health according to WHO standards. And
meeting health standards is not all tha.t i.t takes: E? of them were unsatis-
factory fr~m the esthetic standPoint.
The analyeis was perforared by taking water samples 20 cm below the surface
at points 1 meter in depth.
= This task of checking the coasta was begun 3 years ago right after a congr~ss
_ held to study the contamination of the Mediterranean coasts. French
oceanographer and ecologist Jacques Cousteau had already sounded the alarm:
"The condi~ion of the Mediterranean is diaturbing. Because of contami-
nation, this sea has lost 40 percent of its capacity to sustain life." ~
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`The investigation carri.ed out by the Ministry of HeaJ.th since then complies -
with the first measure pcoposed by Cousteau to save the Mediterranean: to
~ increase the research. Cousteau also adve~~ates that the public be educated,
~ that manufacturers be pressured to clean up wast-::s, and that strict nationaZ -
= and international legislation be enacted ar.~ defi~nse committees created.
From the standpoint of health, it is important *_o distinguish between dirty
beaches and contamination beaches, as the report of the ministry does. The ~
fact tr,at the beach is littered with plastic ~ottles and paper and that th~ -
water is cloudy from industrial wastes ~an be unpleasant, but in few
instances is it dangerous to health. 1~he same occurs with tre "black tides,"
harmful to the ecological balance of the sea but n~t very likely to aFfect
health because, after all, there is no need to set up a sign bannir~g =
_ swimming when they appear.
Not Everything Uncovered Is $ad
There are instances in which jndustrial wastes have poisoned bathers when ,
there has been some leak of toxic or banned substances, but this is not
common~ -
'I'he really dangerous beaches~ those deaignated by the report as unsutisfactory
~ from the hygienic point of view, are the ones with bacteriological conta-
mination. The waters and the saads of those beaches, full of fecal
residues dumped by the sewer drainpipes of the high-rise apartment buildings
and the hotels, contain coli, salmonella, pieces of glass and other sub- -
stancet~ capable of ruin~+.ng any~ne's vacation. Coiitis, conjunctivitis,
infections of all kinds, gastritis or rashes are the nildest ailments that
the unsuspencting bather can contract in beaches when viruses can cause
even cholera and typhoid fever.
~ Exceasive sunning does not help to preserve health. Sunburned akin is more `
susceptible to the attack of bacteria. _
The Worat
Despite the fact that the~report published in 1978 sounded the alarm, the
authorities have not taken preventive measures. It is estimated that 98
percent of the purifiers installed on Spanish coasts are not working
- because the municipal governments cannot afford the annual million pesetas
' required for their maintenance.
On the other hand, th~ location of the drainpipes that dump the sewer
wastes into the sea makzs it practically impossible to prevent contamination
in many beaches. Such is the case in Benidorm, which in a few years has -
become a huge summer vacation city yet st~ll has a sewer system like the
one it had when it was a small fishing village. The main drainpipe in the
- city of Benidorm, located in back of the Punta del Caballo mountain, is a -
constant source of bacteriological c~ntamination and.results in the quality
of the waters being dependent on the direction of the coastal currents. -
19
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In Almeria, the resorts of San N;colas, Zapillo Villa Sorrento, Garrucha
Puerto and Mojacar-Parador dc~ not meet Spanieh sanitary standards. In
Baleares, the beaches of Can Pastilla and Palma~-Sabina are dangerous. The =
water at Pal~a Nova and El Erenal is not contaminated, but neither does it
have ~he minim~ esthetic quali~y to make it enjoyable.
In Castellon, almost all the beaches are a disaster and neither Benicasim
nor Torrecasim are to be trusted ~cahen it is time to take a dip. iiowever,
~ those ~aho go to Burriana ~nd Benicasim-Torreon can bathe without worrying.
In Granada, the beaches of San Cristobal, Altimo, Penon, Motril-Levante and
, Torrenueva are dirty and dangerous; in Tenerife, only the resort of E1 Medan4
~s slightly dirty, although the water pos~s no danger to health. Tenerife
has undergone a great improvement compared to last year. In Malaga, the
_ atudy of Che coast has been exhauetive. A total of 47 resorts have been
~ examined, of which 23 meet the eanitary standarda and 18 the esthetic ones. -
In Tarragona, the ma~ority of the beaches checked were clean--only one
- turned out not to be very satiafactory from the esthetic point of view.
In Huelva, the results have been very satisfactary. According to the 17
~ resort samples examined, the inhabitants of Y:uelva and the tourists can -
bathe and enjoy the scenery without worry--all the beaches are satisfactory.
COPYRIGHT: Informacion y Revistas, S.A., 1979
8414
~SO: 5000
~ END -
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FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000300040011-2