natural background concentrations of some heavy metals and trace elements are elevated but the influence is assessed by the russian federation as local in three areas in the russian part of the basin groundwater pollution has been identified groundwater monitoring is carried out at nine points of observation in the russian part of the basin three times per month in the alluvial aquifer groundwater row is from azerbaijan and the russian federation to the samur river in the lower aquifer the flow direction is from azerbaijan to the russian federation both aquifers have strong links with surface water