Interregional atmospheric transfer of pollutants and its impact on the surface water quality in the Western Ukraine

Abstract

Surface water bodies are interconnected through the atmosphere, and the complex air-water system exchange the pollutants emitted. The water bodies, at some meteorological conditions promote air cleaning by absorption and sedimentation of the particulate matter and traces gases. Here the exchange of the air pollutions in five neighboring regions of the Western Ukraine. Statistical analysis of the datasets on daily concentrations of the suspended substances (SS), SO2, CO, CO2, NO2, and NO measured in the Ivano-Frankivsk (IF), Lviv (L), Ternopil (T), Chernivetsk (Ch) and Zakarpatska (Z) regions confirmed strong correlations (Kp > 0,8) between the concentrations of NO and NO2, SS and CO; and reliable moderate correlations CO and NO2, CO2 and NO. Mutual correlations between all the pollutants were found for L-IF, IF-Ch, L-T regions. Тhe cumulative Air Quality Index (AQI) in the regions IF, L, T and Ch exhibited similar dynamics in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The Water Quality Index (WQI) in the interconnected hydrological system Hnila Lypa River (HLR) – Burshtyn Cooling Reservoir (BCR) – Dniester River was computed at different locations based on the gydrochemical analysis of the water. A very good correlation between WQI and AQI in has been shown. Therefore, the statistical analysis of the time series and dynamical AQI and WQI essential for prompt monitoring of the surface water quality and the ecosystems. Therefore, for the first time in the western region of Ukraine, functional relationships between complex indices of air pollution and surface water bodies were established.