Water sampling for heavy metals at the Tohmajoki river

In the framework of the project "Improving the water quality for local use of water resources and ecological state in the cross-border rivers Koitajoki and Tohmajoki" (TohmaKoita, KA10010), the state of water in the Tohmajoki River is constantly monitored on both sides of the border: on the Finnish side, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) is engaged in the analysis, and on the Russian side, it is Karelvodokanal LLC.

The list of analyzed parameters from the Finnish side is wider, for research purposes, among other things, the study of the content of heavy metals in the river is carried out. The laboratory of Karelvodokanal LLC is not able to carry out similar analyses, so we have involved the hydrological laboratory of the Karelian Center for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring in the implementation of the project. We are already well acquainted with the KarCHEM, which was a partner in the KA5016 Eco-bridge project.

Following the negotiations of the KA10010 project partners, a list of analyses was compiled and sampling points were selected on the Tohmajoki River. On June 24, 2021, a mobile hydrological laboratory left for Sortavalsky district. During one day, samples were taken at all 7 points with a minimum deviation from the specified coordinates in places where access to water was complicated due to terrain features. The samples were preserved and delivered to the laboratory of the KarCHEM for analysis on June 25, 2021.