At the end of March, before the flood, the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve conducted a survey of the impact of emissions from the treatment facilities of the Danky settlement and a boarding school in the Sushka River within the boundaries of the nature reserve. The negative impact of emissions from the treatment facilities and private farms on the ecosystem of the Sushka River has been revealed.

The studies were carried out on hydrochemical and hydrobiological indicators. Hydrochemical measurements were performed by the independent testing laboratory “EcOOnis – environmentally friendly technologies” (Accreditation Certificate No. RA.RU.EM22 dated June 29, 2015). Hydrobiological studies were carried out by specialists of the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology of Roshydromet and the Russian Academy of Sciences.

According to hydrochemical data, the main effect is due to the presence of organic substances and nitrogen, despite the fact that there are no exceedances of the maximum permissible concentration. The state of macrozoobenthos indicates a clear impact of pollution from treatment plants on the ecosystem of the river.
According to the status of macrozoobenthos (this is invertebrate animals with sizes larger than 2 mm, living on the bottom of water bodies or streams, on the surface of the soil and in its thickness), the quality of the water in the Sushka River above the dam corresponds to clean water, and the ecosystem of the river is not disturbed. But just before the discharge from the treatment facilities – the water is polluted, and below the discharges it is completely polluted, there is an ecological regress of ecosystems.
This is reflected in the fact that more than 40 species of macrobenthos organisms were found in the dam area on the bottom of the Sushka River, and 9 species of macrobenthos immediately before discharge from treatment facilities. And below the discharge from the treatment plant, you can find only 2-4 species of macrobenthos – oligochaetes (for example, the sludge worm), larvae of chironomids and leeches.

One natural opportunity to restore the ecosystem of the river in the reserve area is not enough. The photo shows a pipe and foaming discharges from the treatment facilities of the of Danki settlement, which are a source of unpleasant odors.
Thus, throughout the Sushka River area within the reserve, it is contaminated by domestic sewage from the nearest houses and a boarding school. Intensive pollution of the Sushka River with organic substances leads to a sharp decrease in the quality of water from the 1st (conditionally clean water) to the third, and then to the 4th class.
The ecosystem of the Sushka River in the area of research passes from the state of ecological well-being to anthropogenic ecological regression.
Head of the Department of Hydrobiological Monitoring of the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology of Roshydromet and the Russian Academy of Sciences O.Potyutko (in the photo he collects samples) notes that the restoration of the ecosystem on the investigated section of the Sushka River is possible only after the introduction of additional means of cleaning domestic sewage.