Ecological Dangers of Chemical Contamination of Urban Areas Soils: Casestudy of Tomsk

The elemental composition of soils in Western Siberia industrial center – Tomsk city is studied. The content of 28 elements in soils of the four administrative districts is determined by the instrumental neutron activation analysis method. The value of calculated total pollution index indicates a high degree of soil contamination, and dangerous levels of human health risk. The main contributors to the total pollution index value are elements: Tb, Br, Sb and Ta. The districts were ranked by the accumulation level of some elements, and it is shown that increased concentration values are confined to industrial enterprises and fuel cycle. The specificity of city districts soil cover is the increased values of relative to the city average values of several elements contents: Kirovsky district- Na and Ba, Oktyabrsky - Hf, Sc, Tb, Sm, La, Ce, Yb, Lu, and Br, Leninsky - Ca, Rb, Sr. The main sources of chromium and barium in the Tomsk city environment are analyzed

Element composition of solid airborne particles deposited in snow in the vicinity of gas-fired heating plant

Local heating plants are the main pollution source of rural areas. Currently, there are few studies on the composition of local heating plants emissions. The article deals with the research results of air pollution level with solid airborne particles in the vicinity of local gas-fired heating plants of some districts of Tomsk region. The snow sampling was conducted for the purpose of solid airborne particles extraction from snow cover. The content of 28 chemical elements (heavy metals, rare earth and radioactive elements, aurum, argentum, bromine) in the samples was detected using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The mercury content was determined by the flameless atomic absorption. The results have shown that the dust load value corresponds to low pollution level and 3,5 times exceeds the background value. It was detected, the content of studied elements exceeds the baseline data, and level of pollution with these elements corresponds to the average pollution level. It is suggested, the income of solid airborne particles containing these elements is connected both with emission of gas-fired heating plant, and local and trans-border sources

Mercury content in soils on the territory of Mezhdurechensk

The geochemical features of mercury content and distribution in the zone of coal producers have been studied (Mezhdurechensk town). Mercury content in soil (30 samples) was determined by atomic absorption method using mercury analyzer PA-915+ with pyrolytic device. Mercury content in soil samples changed from 0.12 to 0.17 mg/kg, the average value being 0.057 mg/kg. Within the town territory five zones with mercury elevated concentrations in soil were distinguished. 25-year observation period showed a 2.8 time decrease in average mercury content in soil. The major contribution to soil pollution in the urban territory was made by the two factors: local and regional. The mercury content in soil is affected by the emissions from boilers operating on coal as well as coal dust from the open pits near the town

Biotesting of modeled drilling mud as an indicator of environmental risk

In the system of environmental monitoring, biomonitoring plays an important and independent role. The essence of the method determining the toxicants' effect consists in the specially selected organisms under standard conditions and recording different behavioral, physiological and biochemical factors. The paper studies the biological influence of modeled drilling mud components. The research results have shown the toxic effect of investigated muds. The obtained data confirm that biotesting can be applied for drilling fluids certification by the complex assessment of hazardous substances

The level of air pollution in the impact zone of coal-fired power plant (Karaganda City) using the data of geochemical snow survey (Republic of Kazakhstan)

Coal-fired power plants emissions impact the air quality and human health. Of great significance is assessment of solid airborne particles emissions from those plants and distance of their transportation. The article presents the results of air pollution assessment in the zone of coal-fired power plant (Karaganda City) using snow survey. Based on the mass of solid airborne particles deposited in snow, time of their deposition on snow at the distance from 0.5 to 4.5 km a value of dust load has been determined. It is stated that very high level of pollution is observed at the distance from 0.5 to 1 km. there is a trend in decrease of dust burden value with the distance from the stacks of coal-fired power plant that may be conditioned by the particle size and washing out smaller ash particles by ice pellets forming at freezing water vapour in stacks of the coal-fired power plant. Study in composition of solid airborne particles deposited in snow has shown that they mainly contain particulates of underburnt coal, Al-Si- rich spheres, Fe-rich spheres, and coal dust. The content of the particles in samples decreases with the distance from the stacks of the coal-fired power plant

Ecological Dangers of Chemical Contamination of Urban Areas Soils: Casestudy of Tomsk

The elemental composition of soils in Western Siberia industrial center – Tomsk city is studied. The content of 28 elements in soils of the four administrative districts is determined by the instrumental neutron activation analysis method. The value of calculated total pollution index indicates a high degree of soil contamination, and dangerous levels of human health risk. The main contributors to the total pollution index value are elements: Tb, Br, Sb and Ta. The districts were ranked by the accumulation level of some elements, and it is shown that increased concentration values are confined to industrial enterprises and fuel cycle. The specificity of city districts soil cover is the increased values of relative to the city average values of several elements contents: Kirovsky district- Na and Ba, Oktyabrsky - Hf, Sc, Tb, Sm, La, Ce, Yb, Lu, and Br, Leninsky - Ca, Rb, Sr. The main sources of chromium and barium in the Tomsk city environment are analyzed

Geochemical peculiarities of soils in Tomsk areas of industrial enterprises locations

The study of soil samples taken in regions of the industrial enterprises locations in Tomsk areas was performed. The instrumental neutron-activation analysis was used for determination of the chemical composition of samples. The accumulation levels of 26 chemical elements in soils, including rare and radioactive, were determined. The level values of all of the studied elements exceeded background concentrations. The observed elements concentrations exceeded the background ones by factor ranging from 1.1 for Rb (Artificial stone plant) up to 20 for Br (Borrow pit enterprise) to 28 for Ce (Ash dump of the heat power station). The pollution of all studied areas was estimated as high on the basis of calculated values of the total pollution index. The soil geochemical peculiarities in Tomsk are established by elements accompanying production in regions of industrial enterprises locations. The soil composition reflects the specificity of the urban area with various industrial enterprises, due to certain properties of the soil, which constantly accumulates pollutants of emissions from businesses shops and vehicles. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

Dust pollution of snow cover in the industrial areas of Tomsk city (Western Siberia, Russia)

This article describes the results of long-term monitoring (2007-2014) of snow cover pollution in the territory of Tomsk city. Snow samples were collected in the territory of Tomsk. Determination of dust load level was carried out by comparing with the background and reference values. It has been determined that the north-east and central parts of Tomsk are the most contaminated areas, where brickworks, coal and gas-fired thermal power plant are located. The analysis of long-term dynamics showed a dust load decrease in the vicinity of coal and gas-fired thermal power plant due to upgrading of the existing dust collecting systems. During the monitoring period the high dust load in the vicinity of brickworks did not change. The lowest value of the dust load on snow cover was detected in the vicinity of the petrochemical plant and concrete product plants. The near and far zones of dust load on snow cover were determined with the reference to the location of the studied plants

Scanning Electron Microscopy Study of Drilling Cuttings in Tomsk Oblast Sites

The research is focused on determining mineralogical composition of drilling cuttings by scanning electron microscope as well as imaging the sample surface of high resolution that allows studying the structural characteristics of the site. In addition, a number of other techniques permit obtaining information on chemical composition of sample in near-surface layers. The study in drilling cuttings by means of scanning microscopy has revealed the presence of titanium, iron, zirconium oxides, iron sulphide, barium sulphate. The former is a mineral that concentrates rare-earth elements, presumably monocyte, as well as uranium silicate, etc. The results obtained confirm the data of previous X-ray structural analysis, i.e. the study samples consist of alumosilicate matrix. Apart from silicon and aluminium oxides, the matrix includes such elements as Na, K, Mg. Such a composition corresponds to rock-forming minerals: quartz, albite, microcline, clinochlore, muscovite, anorthoclase

Dust pollution of snow cover in the industrial areas of Tomsk city (Western Siberia, Russia)

This article describes the results of long-term monitoring (2007-2014) of snow cover pollution in the territory of Tomsk city. Snow samples were collected in the territory of Tomsk. Determination of dust load level was carried out by comparing with the background and reference values. It has been determined that the north-east and central parts of Tomsk are the most contaminated areas, where brickworks, coal and gas-fired thermal power plant are located. The analysis of long-term dynamics showed a dust load decrease in the vicinity of coal and gas-fired thermal power plant due to upgrading of the existing dust collecting systems. During the monitoring period the high dust load in the vicinity of brickworks did not change. The lowest value of the dust load on snow cover was detected in the vicinity of the petrochemical plant and concrete product plants. The near and far zones of dust load on snow cover were determined with the reference to the location of the studied plants