Unlike antibiotics and heavy metals, nucleic acids exist in the aquatic environment as a part of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, etc.) rather than in a free form. In this regard, the most important primary stage of sample preparation of an object for the quantitative analysis of DNA and RNA in natural and wastewaters includes membrane ultrafi ltration of an aqueous sample, followed by its sorption preconcentration on a solid phase carrier.