Ostroumov S. A. Aquatic ecosystem upgrades water quality: multi-factor analysis. Ecological Studies, Hazards, Solutions, 2010, 16: 10-11.

Abstract. It is the first time that the list of 6 main principles of the functioning of the biomachinery of water self-purification in aquatic ecosystems, both freshwater and marine ones, is formulated. ** AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM UPGRADES WATER QUALITY: MULTI-FACTOR ANALYSIS Ostroumov S. A.
M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State Univerity Key words: aquatic ecosystem, ecological stability, water quality, water supply, selfpurification, environmental protection, water filtration, bivalves, ecosystem services, sustainable development, resources, environmental safety, pollution, contaminants, environmental sciences, hazards, man-made effects, xenobiotics;

Water self-purification [1-7] is an important example of ecosystem services. This function of aquatic ecosystems is necessary for sustainable development, and for sustainable use of aquatic resources (water resources), as well as for environmental safety. The analysis made by the author in a published paper (Ostroumov, 2008) [8] showed that aquatic ecosystem (both marine and freshwater one) features a multicomponent molecular-ecological mechanism for upgrading water quality. In other words, it is a multi-component, multi-process biomachinery for water quality formation and self-purification. The biomachinery includes the following items: (1) sources of energy for self-purification mechanisms, (2) the major taxa of living organisms as components of the biomachinery; (3) the biomachinery contains the functional blocks that perform functions of filters, mills, and pumps. A set of six principles was formulated. These principles are typically predominant but not universal because some ecosystems demonstrate deviations from them. The principles are listed below: 1. Moderation of the rate of water self-purification by regulatory mechanisms. 2. Diversification of the executives of the main functions of water quality formation and self-purification machinery. 3. Multiple stages of the biogenic migration of elements in the operation of the molecular ecological mechanism of water medium parameter formation are often observed. 4. Synecological cooperation. 5. The significance of biota is constantly preserved at a high level throughout the ecosystem volume. 6. Regulated balance of opposite directed processes. Experiments that the author carried out demonstrated how several types of chemical pollutants may produce damage to this delicate and very useful biomachinery which makes water clean. The experiments demonstrated that some

chemical pollutants decreased important and useful functions of aquatic invertebrate animals which contribute to purification of water. We have found that the chemical pollutant as diverse as synthetic surfactants, detergents, salts of Cd, Cu, Pb, Hg, Co, Ti, V (Na3VO4 12 H2O), and oil hydrocarbons inhibited water filtration by bivalve molluscs, the marine mussels (the Latin name of the mussels: Mytilus galloprovincialis). One of the practical conclusions is that we now see another aspect of important hazard from the low, sublethal concentrations of the chemicals that pollute the aquatic environment. Not only death of aquatic organisms, but also even a decrease of their functional activity in polluted aquatic ecosystems poses some danger and risk to the water system. The potential hazard of those low levels of the chemical pollutants is that the potential of the ecosystem to purify water will be decreased. As a final result, in future we may have water of worse quality. This theory presented in [8-12] may be of interest to scientists and specialists in the following fields: aquatic ecology, water science, environmental toxicology and chemistry, ecotoxicology, and water resource management.
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