Recent hydrochemistry variations in the Baltic Sea

Abstract

The prevention of chemical pollution of sea waters by industrial and domestic discharge is a matter of paramount importance. Increasing pollution of sea waters results in the serious deterioration of their sanitary conditions and causes great damage to the fishing industry. The discharge of pollutants into seas which are weakly connected with the oceans is particularly dangerous. The Baltic Sea is such a sea. With a water volume of about 22,300 km³, the water exchange with the North Sea is very small (1660 km³ (outflow)-1187 km³ (inflow)=473 km³). More than 15 years are required for the complete renovation of the sea's waters. Waste discharges are doubly dangerous in the Baltic Sea because of the fact that the sea is divided into two layers according to density-an upper layer and a lower, insufficiently aerated layer of higher salinity. Pollutants can accumulate in the lower layer.