Influence of railway transport enterprises on the state of surface waters using the example of Kharkiv region

Purpose. To determine the impact of one of the railway transport enterprises on the state of surface waters on the example of the Lozova River in the Lozova District of the Kharkiv Region based on the determination of water quality indices. Methods. The water pollution index (WPI), the modified water pollution index (WPI mod) and the combinatorial water pollution index (CPI). Results. It was determined that changes in water quality occur after the discharge of wastewater from one of the railway transport enterprises, a deterioration in water quality is observed by 1.004 times according to the average WPI value and 1.070 times according to the average modified WPI value. According to the average PCPI, on the contrary, there is an improvement in water after discharge by 1.016 times. This was influenced by the exceeding of the MPC for suspended solids at the point of wastewater discharge in 2022. The water quality of the Lozova River according to the method of assessing the WPI and modified WPI belongs to the II class of water quality and is characterized as “clean”. According to the CPI method, the river water in 2020, 2021 and 2022 also belongs to the II class of water quality, but has the characteristic of “polluted”, and in 2023 and 2024 the water belongs to the I class of water quality and has the characteristic of “slightly polluted”. The hydrochemical indicators that determined the water quality class of the Lozova River are SPAR, chlorides, phosphates and suspended solids. Conclusions. The one of the enterprises of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" does not significantly affect the quality of surface waters of the Lozova River in the Lozova district of the Kharkiv region.