Consequences of Sabotage of the Kakhovka Dam on the Waters of the Dnipro-Buh Estuary and the Black Sea

Abstract

Abstract: Sabotage of the Kakhovka dam released pollutants with concentrations up to 50 times their maximum permissible concentrations into 6,800 km2 of the Dnipro-Buh estuary and the Black Sea. The accumulation of biogenic elements doubled; there was a four-fold deterioration of physical and chemical properties, a three-fold increase in phytoplankton, and worsening of water quality to polytrophic status. The amplitude of freshwater flows to the estuary is now weakened and there is no effective mechanism to restore its status.