Comparison of anthropological and “natural” input of substances through waters into Adriatic, Baltic and Black Sea

BOD5, COD, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, phosphates, surface active substances, detergents, mineral oils, phenols, PAH, Zn, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Hg annual loading for the Adriatic Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea through wastewater and “natural” waters have been estimated. The quantities of “natural” waters, which are several orders of magnitude higher than the anthropological ones, the expected “natural” loading of substances considered here highly exceeds annually, weak reflections on the natural concentration increase in the whole sea system have been observed. This is essentially due to enormous quantities of suspended matter, and highest pollution is registered in the narrowest littoral zone. The present pollution has ecological implications primarily on the enchanted point-source spots. Comparison of the results for these closed seas reveals that the Adriatic sea has the smallest loading taken absolutely and relatively considering its volume, while the Black Sea, and particularly the Baltic Sea, have significantly higher loading.