Snow pollution in Lake Baikal water area in nearby land areas

The extent of the effect of technogenic sources in the Baikal Natural Territory on Lake Baikal water area and coastal zone is assessed. Regional pollution from sources remote from the lake migrates over tens of kilometers in accordance with wind rose and transforms into local in the water protection zone of Lake Baikal. Snow pollution in lake water area has been recorded near the coastal populated localities Listvyanka, Kultuk, Baikal’sk, Slyudyanka, Ust’-Barguzin, Severobaikal’sk, Nizhneangarsk, and at Selenga R. mouth and found to have a local character. The southern depression ranks first in terms of the input of NO₂, NO₃, NH₄, PO₄, F, Al, Na, Ba, Mo, Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn, Sr, Hg, and oil products onto lake water area through the atmosphere. However, larger amounts of SO₄, H₂CO₃, Cl, Ca, Mg, and K falls onto the northern depression, and more Be, V, Cr, and Co falls onto the middle part, because of the operation of coastal enterprises, boiler-houses, TPPs, stove heating, motor-car emissions, and natural transport of dust in low-snow areas. Data on the past 15 years show the pollution to drop by half in the late 1990s and early 2000s because of industrial decline. However, a small increase in regional pollution by individual components could be seen in the recent 5 years.