journal article·2025-08-14Open access

Assessment of Anthropogenic Load on the Ile River Ecosystem Considering Regional Peculiarities

Ainur Mussakulkyzy, Christian Opp, Nariman Amirgaliev, Azamat Madibekov, Laura Ismukhanova, Askhat Zhadi

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 16

Abstract

The Ile River is the main water artery of the Lake Balkhash basin and the main fresh water resource supplying the south-eastern part of Kazakhstan. Increasing human economic activity makes it necessary to assess the anthropogenic load of the river on various ecosystems, including possible harmful effects. The assessment of anthropogenic load on the Ile River ecosystem was realized by the anthropogenic load fraction indicator and by the values of the chemical substance inflow modulus. For this purpose, the Ile River was divided into 3 sections: section I—from the border post HP Dobyn to 164 km above Kapshagai hydroelectric power plant (HPP); section II—between the points 164 km above and 37 km below Kapshagai HPP; and section III —from 37 km below HPP to Ushzharma village. The anthropogenic load strongly depends on the share of anthropogenic impact contributed by pollutants. Characteristic pollution components are copper, and in some cases zinc, ammonium, and nitrite nitrogen. The assessment of anthropogenic load also considers organic and biogenic substances in the chemical composition of river water. The variability in the volume of dissolved chemical inflows in different sections of the river made it possible to assess the transformation of anthropogenic load along the length of the Ile River.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Water Resources and Management · Water Quality and Pollution Assessment · Environmental Science and Water Management

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Laboratory of “Hydrochemistry and Environmental Toxicology”, JSC Institute of Geography and Water Security, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan

Faculty of Geography, Philipps-Universität Marburg, D-35032 Marburg, Germany

Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan

Department Water Resources and Reclamation, Water, Land and Forest Resources Faculty, Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan

Funding

Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan

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