Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas published a study in which it was reported that the total content of mercury (dissolved and suspended) in the water of Syvash is much higher than in the Black and Azov seas.
The study notes that Syvash Bay is the world's largest hypersaline lagoon with a strong spatial salinity gradient from 30 to 100–110 g / l.
“In the collected samples, one of the authors of the article, A. Stetsiuk, determined the mercury content by the method of flameless atomic absorption on a Hiranuma-1 analyzer (Hiranuma Sangyo Co. Ltd, Mito, Ibaraki, Japan). It was found that the total content of mercury (dissolved and suspended) in water of Syvash is much larger than in the Black and Azov Seas. With an increase in salinity, the total concentration of mercury significantly increases, as does the content of suspended matter, which accumulates mercury. The amount of dissolved forms of mercury is positively related to the content of dissolved organic matter”,- the message said.
The authors believe that a significant reason for the increased mercury content in Syvash is human activity.