This study was conducted in the territory of the industrial site of the Udachny Mining and Processing Division (Yakutia, northeast Russia). The objects of study were permafrost soils and two species of shrubs (Betula middendorffii T. and Duschekia fruticose R.). Soil and plant samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry for the presence of PTEs (Pb, Ni, Mn, Cd, Co, Cr, Zn, Cu, and As). The bioaccumulation factor (BAF), frequency of occurrence (Hi), pollution index (PI), and pollution load index (PLI) were calculated. The PI and PLI are calculated for both soil and two plant species for the first time in this study. The results showed that the soils have a high Ni, Cr, Co, As, and Mn content. It has been established that high soil pollution naturally leads to an increase in the concentration of elements in the leaves of shrubs. The soils and vegetation are dominated by elements associated with trap magmatism—Cr, Co, Cu, and dolerite dikes—Mn and Zn. For Betula middendorffii, the PLI was classified as unpolluted to moderately polluted, and Duschekia fruticosa. was classified as unpolluted. The high level of contamination is typical for areas located near industrial sites, such as waste dumps, kimberlite pipes, tailings ponds, and roads. The BAF results confirmed that the leaves of Betula middendorffii are able to accumulate more PTEs and have the highest level of resistance to PTE contamination in mining environments. This analysis showed that the consistent application of the PI, PLI, and BAF indices is very efficient in the ecological and biogeochemical assessment of the situation in industrial development areas.
Geochemical risk is caused by the release of hazardous chemicals to the earth surface. Primary diamond deposits are located in difficult mining and geological conditions. They represent natural geochemical anomalies associated with the mineral composition of rocks and groundwater, which contain a number of impurity elements with high toxic properties (Tl, Di, As, Cd, Hg), increased concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ti, V and others). The paper presents the physical-geographical and mining-geological conditions of the diamondiferous region, where three large mining and processing divisions operate: Udachninsky, Aikhalsky and Nyurbinsky. pH, organic matter (humus), total nitrogen, physical clay were identified in the study samples, by using potentiometric, photoelectric colorimetric, spectrophotometric methods and pipette method for particle size analysis. Gross and mobile forms of trace elements were determined by atomic absorption and emission spectrometry. The groups of elements were identified, that determined the natural and man-made anomalies. The accumulation of Cr, Ni and Co determines the influence of kimberlite magmatism in general. Cu, Sr and Li are accumulated in the soils of the Daldyn-Alakit diamond-bearing region. Increased concentrations of Mn and Cu are typical in the soils of the Sredne-Markhinsky diamond-bearing region. An assessment of the ecological and geochemical state of the study areas was carried out according to the indicator of total pollution (Zc), which is the sum of the excess of the concentration coefficients of chemical elements accumulating in anomalies. Areas of pollution and zones of the greatest risk are localized, which occupy up to 75% of the total area of industrial sites. They confined to quarry-dump complexes and to areas of impact of tailing dumps of processing plants.
There are numerous studies on the effect of grazing on the physical and chemical parameters of soils. However, the impact of grazing on the temperature regime of the alas soils in Central Yakutia is still poorly understood. This paper presents the results of long-term observations of the state of the soil-and-plant cover of thermokarst basins—i.e., alases—located in the Lena-Amga interfluve and actively used as pastureland. Observations of the process of the self-restoration of grass cover and changes in the temperature regime of alas soils were carried out on different variants (with isolation from grazing and without isolation). A significant increase in the average height of the grass stand and its foliage projective cover was observed with a gradual reduction in the number of species when isolated from grazing. Changes in the structure of the alas vegetation cover influence the microclimate of the soil. As a result of livestock grazing, the mean annual soil temperature rises and the amount and depth of the penetration of active temperatures increase. The most severe changes in the temperature regime occur in years with an abnormally high cover of snow. The soil warming observed during grazing undoubtedly has a favorable effect on soil organisms. However, in conditions of climate warming, grazing, especially overgrazing, can disrupt the permafrost regime and thereby provoke or intensify thermokarst phenomena.
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