PROSPECTS FOR THE USE OF BOTTOM SEDIMENTS AND SAPROPEL OF THE SOUTHERN BUG RIVER

Abstract

During the evolution of water bodies, bottom sediments are formed on the bottom of water bodies. Bottom sediments
consist of sedimentary materials that settle on the bottom of water bodies and may contain organic and inorganic components.
The composition of bottom sediments is unique for each water body, depends on the type of water body, sources of material,
hydrological regime, biological activity, and may change over time depending on changes in the environment.
Bottom sediments consist of organic matter, which can be in the form of sapropel, silt, peat and include the remains of
plants, animals, microorganisms, products of their vital activity, and inorganic components: sand, clay, silt, limestone, silica
and other minerals that are brought by the river flow, wind or washed out from the riverbed and banks.
Bottom sediments of the Southern Bug consist of sapropel and silt. Sapropel is a natural organic substance formed at the
bottom of water bodies as a result of the decomposition of dead aquatic plants, animal remains and mineral particles of the
soil in the absence of oxygen. It mainly consists of organic substances (79%), fulvic acids (11%), amino acids (2%), and also
contains trace elements such as iron, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, manganese, boron, molybdenum, selenium, zinc and
others. Sapropel has wide application in various industries. In agriculture it is used as a fertilizer to improve soil structure,
increase its moisture capacity and humus content. In medicine and cosmetology sapropel is used for mud therapy, in the form
of masks, wraps and mud baths. Also, sapropel can be used as a feed additive for animals.
Silt deposits are dense substances that accumulate after being separated from various types of water in which they are
contained by natural or artificial processes. The composition of sludge depends on its source and place of formation, but
usually includes clay particles, sand, organic matter and water. Activated sludge used in sewage treatment plants contains a
large number of microorganisms, in particular bacteria, which play a key role in the removal of biological contaminants. It can
consist of clay minerals: kaolinite, montmorillonite, which give the sludge plasticity, sand of different granulometry (different
particle sizes), plant and animal remains, microorganisms, mineral substances: carbonates, sulfates, metal oxides and water,
which fills the spaces between solid particles. The color is usually gray, brown or black, depending on the organic content.
The consistency ranges from liquid to solid, depending on the water and organic matter content. The odor can be unpleasant
due to the presence of decomposition processes of organic matter.
Innovative approaches to the use of bottom sediments and sapropel of the Southern Bug are proposed.