Mitryasova, O. CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY: Monograph. Mykolaiv: PMBSNU, 2026, 124 p.

CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY By what indicators did they "listen" to the water In order to understand the scale of changes that have occurred in the water area, the systematization of hydrochemical data by key indicators was carried out. The study was based on the analysis of three main blocks of water quality: 1. Salt composition: chloride content, sulfates and hardness index. These are critical parameters for Mykolaiv, since they determine the aggressiveness of water against metal structures of city networks. 2. Tropho-saprobiological indicators: pH level, dissolved oxygen content, BSC5 (biochemical oxygen consumption), as well as the concentration of phosphates and suspended solids. These data make it possible to assess the level of organic pollution and the ability of the reservoir to self-purify. 3. Specific toxic effect: concentration of heavy metals (Cuprum, Zinc) and petroleum products. It is this block of indicators that demonstrates the direct impact of hostilities: from sunken ships to explosions and destruction of port infrastructure. Transformation of the estuary ecosystem before and after 2022 A comparative analysis of the state of the Buh estuary before the full-scale invasion and after the outbreak of active hostilities reveals alarming dynamics. Until 2022, the state of the water ranged from "polluted" to "dirty", which was a consequence of decades of industrial development. However, after 2022, the environmental situation has entered a phase of degradation. The main factor in the changes was salinity. Due to the destruction of the water supply system and changes in the hydrological regime, the content of chlorides and sulfates in some samples began to show rapid growth. But the real challenge was the increase in toxic load. Significant exceedances of maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) for the content of petroleum products and copper compounds (Cuprum) were recorded. Shelling of the coastal zone, destruction of oil storage infrastructure, and flooding of watercraft had a cumulative impact on the ecosystem. These factors formed a multicomponent man-made load, which significantly changed the hydrochemical profile of the water area during the war. Organic pollution (BSC5) has also increased, indicating that the estuary is overloaded with untreated effluents due to constant accidents on the networks. Chemical aggression and heavy metals In the general list of threats to the Buh estuary, heavy metal pollution occupies a special place. If organic pollution can be recycled by the ecosystem over time, then metals are "eternal" pollutants. They do not disappear, but only change shape, accumulating in the bottom sediments and tissues of living organisms. For Mykolaiv, which was at the epicenter of hostilities, this indicator became an indicator of the direct impact of the war on water. 71