This article is devoted to the determination of heavy metals and harmful organic compounds in sea water – the habitat of the Caspian seal. The group of the most common heavy metals, according to many authors, includes manganese, nickel, zinc, iron, cadmium, lead, copper and their salts, characterized by long-term preservation and accumulation in water, sediments and hydrobionts. The studies were conducted from February 7–12, 2017 on the route from the Kalamkas (Kazakhstan) field through the islands of Kulaly to the village of Bautino. Water samples were taken 10‒20 cm below the sea ice and surface level, each sample was taken in 2 replicates: one for the Kazakhstan laboratory in Almaty and one for the French independent laboratory. Water samples were analyzed for the content of 13 heavy metals such as – Co, Cu, Ti, Bi, Ag, V, Al, Be, Sb, Sn, Fe, Cr, Mo. It was established that in all water samples the content of vanadium exceeds the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) level by 1.5–7.4 times, beryllium ‒ 140–445 times, antimony 13.2–17.2 times. The maximum concentrations of the V and Be contents were found in water samples taken at sampling points No. 1 and 2, and Sb ‒ at points No. 1.6, 7.8. Cobalt, copper, iron and chromium were not detected in the samples presented. The content of other metals (Ti, Bi, Ag, Al, Sn, Mo) was significantly below the permissible levels or below the detection limits of the method. All samples of sea water are contaminated by several organic chemical pollutants, to various degrees and from different origins. Data on the accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals in the habitat of Caspian seals characterize the toxicological situation in the study region.

Drinking water samples from eight districts of Almaty, Kazakhstan was collected and physical and chemical analysis of the samples was carried out. Quality indicators of drinking water, such as organoleptic characteristics of water (smell, taste, color, and turbidity), general characteristics (pH, total hardness, permanganate demand, and dry residue), inorganic substances (cations and anions) and contaminants (heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons) were determined, except pesticide residues which will be analyzed for further analysis with a wide range of pollutants. According to all indicators obtained for all districts of Almaty, the anthropogenic impact on drinking water in Almaty districts is assessed as low, not exceeding the permissible maximum allowable concentrations (MAC) values, and drinking water in Almaty corresponds to the approved standards and rules for drinking water of Kazakhstan. Despite of the fact that studied pollutants are below their MAC values, they still pose threat to public health due to their accumulative properties. The study of drinking water in the districts of Almaty made it possible to assess the ecological state in the studied districts of Almaty, as well as to propose recommendations for improving the quality of drinking water in areas where water quality indicators are closer to their MAC values.