Analysis of Generalized Indicators of Surface Water Quality in the Voronezh Region

Introduction: The relevance of assessing surface water quality indicators is beyond doubt owing to the increasing anthropogenic impacts and the strategic importance of freshwater resources.

Objective: To assess the quality of surface waters using generalized indicators based on laboratory testing data and descriptive statistics.

Materials and Methods: Surface water bodies of the Voronezh Region, including rivers, reservoirs, and ponds, were the object of the study. We analyzed monitoring data collected by the Voronezh Center for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring in 2023–2025. The subject of the study was surface water quality assessed by generalized indicators for 28 monitoring sites across nine water bodies. Descriptive statistics were calculated and interpreted.

Results: We established that six out of seven discrete data series of generalized indicators of the surface water bodies in the Voronezh Region had pronounced asymmetry and excess (pH, dissolved oxygen, chemical and biological oxygen demands (COD and BOD), petroleum products, and anionic surfactants), indirectly showing differences in the influence of natural and man-made factors. The exception was the total hardness of water (the combined concentration of calcium and magnesium ions dissolved in water), the distribution of which could be considered normal. The variability of dissolved oxygen, COD, and BOD5 indicators was the highest (V from 20.59 to 27.61 %) while that of pH, petroleum hydrocarbon and anionic surfactant concentrations was the lowest (V from 3.6 to 4.3 %).

Conclusions: Based on the established regulatory noncompliance, the priority generalized indicators of surface water quality in the Voronezh Region, in descending order of importance, include COD (exceedances were found in 22.7 % of the samples with a 3.63-fold maximum excess [15.0 mgО₂/dm³]), BOC5 (4.5 %; 2.45-fold [2.0 mg/dm³]), and dissolved oxygen (1.8 % of the sample were below the standard with a 1.76-fold maximum deficiency [< 4 mg/dm³]). According to these findings, the most unfavorable situation can be traced in the Voronezh Water Reservoir and the Don River.

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