Influence of Copper Pollution of Haplic Calcic Chernozem With Various Contents of Sand Fractions on Morphobiometric Indicators of Spring Barley

The growth and development of plants is one of the criteria for assessing the degree of soil pollution with heavy metals. Morphological and anatomical changes in test plants affected by pollutants, such as growth retardation, shoot bending, and decreased root length and mass, indicate the worsening of environmental conditions. The effect of various ratios of soil and sand polluted with copper (Cu) on morphobiometric parameters of spring barley (Hordeum sativum distichum), Ratnik variety, was studied in a model vegetative experiment. Haplic calcic chernozem was used as a substrate with different ratios of soil/sand. It was determined that an addition of sand into the soil in the amounts of 25%, 50% and 75% of soil mass resulted in the alteration of the physical properties of the chernozem, which was reflected in the morphometric parameters of the plants. The most notable changes in the parameters were observed after pollution of soil-sand substrates with Cu(CH3COO)2 in the amounts of 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg. The maximum growth and development retardation of the barley plants was found at the maximum content of sand and the maximum concentration of Cu. The pollutant reduced the root length and, to a lesser degree, the height of the aboveground components of the plant, which as a result, decreased the total plant biomass. Keywords: trace elements, soil, agricultural crops, particle size distributio

Main factors in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons accumulations in the long-term technogenic contaminated soil

The PAHs transformation in the soils of the coal mining enterprises impact zones and thermal power plants remains poorly studied. In turn, coal mining can be considered as a primary cycle in the production of electricity. One of the main sources of negative environmental impact is the coal mining industry located on the territory of the upland in the south of the East European Plain. The features of PAHs accumulation in the soils of fuel and energy enterprises have been studied on the example of mines impact zones with different service life and the current coal-fired power plant. It was established that, regardless of the period and intensity of the emission source, as well as its current status, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content in the soils of the impact zones was significantly higher than in the soils of the background territory. The content of low molecular and high molecular weight PAHs in the impact zones soils differed depending on the land use type, as well as the period and intensity of an industrial effect type. The pollutants content of in the soils of all considered impact zones significantly exceeded the background values and according to the low molecular weight PAHs content in the soils, they formed the following decreasing series: Mayskiy ≥ Ayutinsky > Novoshahtinsk > Power station > Background. According the high molecular weight PAHs content, the series changed to: Novoshahtinsk >Mayskiy ≥ Ayutinsky > Power station > Background. Soil pollution markers for enterprises of the fuel and energy complex were identified as pyrene and chrysene, which are part of coal, formed from the hydrocarbon sources. The influence of the power plant was accompanied by the benzo(g,h,i)perylene concentration increase

The influence of diatomite on the growth and development of

The effect of various doses of diatomite introduced into soil artificially contaminated by benzo[a]pyrene was analyzed. The negative effect of benzo[a]pyrene on the growth of barley (Hordeum sativum distichum) seedlings and reduction of toxic effect of polyarene on plants after implementation of diatomite as a sorbent into contaminated soil are shown. A significant increase (by 2–3 times) of the plant growth in contaminated soil with the addition of diatomite has been revealed. The introduction of 2.5% diatomite into contaminated soil had the significant positive effect on barley seedlings

The Morphological and Functional Organization of Cattails <em>Typha laxmannii</em> Lepech. and <em>Typha australis</em> Schum. and Thonn. under Soil Pollution by Potentially Toxic Elements

The aim of this study is to investigate the adaptation of two species of cattail Typha australis Schum. and Thonn. and Typha laxmannii Lepech. based on analysis of the morphological and anatomical features of their vegetative and generative organs to soil pollution with potentially toxic elements (PTE) in the riparian zones of the sea edge of the Don River delta (Southern Russia). Both species of the cattail are able to accumulate high concentrations of Ni, Zn, Cd, Pb and can be used for phytoremediation of polluted territories. The pattern of PTE accumulation in hydrophytes has changed on polluted soils of coastal areas from roots/rhizomes > inflorescences > stems to roots/rhizomes > stems ≥ inflorescences. The comparative morphological and anatomical analysis showed a statistically significant effect of the environmental stress factor by the type of proliferation in T. australis, and species T. laxmannii was visually in a depressed, deformed state with mass manifestations of hypogenesis. These deformations should be considered, on one hand, as adaptive, but on the other, as pathological changes in the structure of the spikes of the cattails. Light-optical and electron microscopic studies have shown that the degree and nature of ultrastructural changes in cattails at the same level of soil pollution are different and most expressed in the assimilation tissue of leaves. However, these changes were destructive for T. australis, but for T. laxmannii, these indicated a high level of adaptation to the prolonged technogenic impact of PTE

Establishment of regional background for heavy metals in the soils of the Lower Don and the Taganrog Bay coast

Data on the regional geochemical background and threshold values of heavy metals are required to establish anomalies and assess soil pollution. As a rule, the background values are the average contents of elements in natural undisturbed soils, or the threshold values for the study area, obtained by statistical methods. The aim of the study is to obtain geochemical threshold values of heavy metals in the soils of the Lower Don and the Taganrog Bay coast using different statistical approaches. A total of 86 topsoil samples were collected from the study area. The concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Сu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence. The median element concentrations in the soils of the study area were consistent with world soil average and metal concentrations in background soils of protected area. Using a ‘geochemical’ approach is not suitable for this dataset because it does not take into account the natural variability of concentrations in different soil types. The Tukey inner fence method delivers estimates that do not detect outliers for Ni, As, Cd, and Pb. The ‘median + 2 median absolute deviations’ method was the most appropriate, as it consistently provided the most conservative background values

Accumulation of benzo[a]pyrene in plants of different species and organogenic horizon of soils of steppe phytocenosis under technogenic pollution

Актуальность. Несмотря на значительное количество работ по исследованию загрязнения объектов окружающей среды полиаренами, недостаточно сведений о накоплении полициклических ароматических углеводородов и, в частности, наиболее токсичного бенз[а]пирена разными видами травянистых растений, что обусловливает актуальность исследований в данном направлении. Проведено изучение распределения бенз[а]пирена по органам растений и органогенным горизонтам почв зоны воздействия Новочеркасской ГРЭС. Цель: выявить закономерности накопления бенз[а]пирена в растениях разных видов и органогенном горизонте почв степных фитоценозов в зависимости от удаления от Новочеркасской ГРЭС. Объекты. В зоне действия Новочеркасской ГРЭС был проведен отбор проб надземной и корневой частей растений и подстилающих их органогенных горизонтов почв на глубину 0-20 см. Для исследования на мониторинговых площадках нами были выбраны доминантные виды травянистых растений: амброзия полыннолистная (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), полынь австрийская (Artemisia austriaca Jack.), тысячелистник благородный (Achillea nobilis L), цикорий обыкновенный (Cichorium intybus L.), пижма обыкновенная (Tanacetum vulgare L.), пырей ползучий (Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski.). Также были исследованы злаковые культуры: овсюг (Avena fatua), пшеница (Triticum aestivum L.), овес (Avena sativa L.), овсяница валлисская, или типчак (Festuca valesiaca L.), тростник обыкновенный (Phragmites australis L.), мятлик луговой (Poap retense L.). Методы. Содержание бенз[а]пирена в образцах растений определяли модифицированным методом омыления. Модификация предполагает замену трехразовой экстракции этоксиэтаном, являющимся прекурсором, на н-гексан. Извлечение поллютанта растворителем проводили после удаления мешающих липидных макрокомпонентов растений, предварительно подвергая кипячению образец в 2-% растворе гидрооксида калия. Определение концентрации бенз[а]пирена осуществляли на хроматографе Agilent 1260 с флуориметрическим детектором. Результаты. На основании кластерного анализа выявлены три группы травянистых растений по уровню содержания бенз[а]пирена: слабого, среднего и активного накопления. Максимальные уровни накопления бенз[а]пирена выявлены для типчака, минимальные для амброзии. Установлено, что массовая доля бенз[а]пирена в почвах и растениях закономерно снижалась по мере удаления от предприятия. Максимальное загрязнение было выявлено по трансекте генерального направления, в 1,6 км от источника. Наименее загрязненными были площадки, заложенные в восточном направлении. Исследование накопления бенз[а]пирена в разных органах растений показало, что наибольшим загрязнением отличались корни всех исследованных видов. Массовая доля бенз[а]пирена в органогенном горизонте почв значительно превышала его содержание в растениях разных видов.The relevance of the research. Despite a significant amount of research of environmental pollution by polyarenes, there is insufficient information on accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and in particular the most toxic benzo[a]pyrene, by various types of herbaceous plants, which determines the relevance of research in this direction. The distribution of benzo[a]pyrene over plant organs and organogenic horizons of soils in the Novocherkassk Power Station effect zone was studied. The main aim was to study the accumulation of benzo[a]pyrene in plants of different species and the organogenic soil horizon of steppe phytocenoses depending on the distance from Novocherkassk Power Station. Objects. In the coverage area of the Novocherkassk Power Station, the samples of the aerial and root parts of plants and the underlying soil horizons of the organogenic layers were taken to a depth of 0-20 cm. For the study on monitoring sites, dominant species of herbaceous plants: ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), Austrian wormwood (Artemisia austriaca Jack.), noble yarrow (Achillea nobilis L), common chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), creeping wheatgrass (Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski.) were selected. The cereals: oatmeal (Avena fatua), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), oats (Avena sativa L.), Wallis fescue or fescue (Festuca valesiaca L.), common reed (Phragmites australis L.), meadow bluegrass (Poap retense L.) were studied as well. Methods. The content of benzo[a]pyrene in plants was determined by the standard method RD 52.10.556-95 in a modification that allows removing interfering lipid macrocomponents of plants by saponification (saponification method). When benzo[a]pyrene was determined by the method of saponification, the saponifiable lipid fraction was initially removed in the samples by boiling the plant sample in an alcohol solution of alkali, followed by threefold extraction of benzo[a]pyrene with hexane. The basis for determination of benzo[a]pyrene in soils is the PND 16.1:2:2. 2:3. 39-03 technique. Quantitative determination of benzo[a]pyrene in the extract was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography. The results. Based on cluster analysis, three groups of herbaceous plants were identified by the level of benzo[a]pyrene content: weak, medium, and active accumulation. The maximum levels of benzo[a]pyrene accumulation were found for fescue, and the minimum for ragweed. It was found that the mass fraction of benzo[a]pyrene in soils and plants naturally decreased with distance from the enterprise. Maximum pollution was detected by the transect of the general direction, 1,6 km from the source. The least polluted sites were laid in the eastern direction. A study of polyarenes accumulation in different organs of plants showed that the roots of all the species studied differed the greatest pollution. The mass fraction of benzo[a]pyrene in the organogenic horizon of soils significantly exceeded its content in plants of various species