Ecological and Hygienic Problems of the Application of Anti-Icing Agents in a Large Metropolis (For Example, the Territory of Moscow)

Abstract

Anti-icing reagents (AIR) are one of the main soil pollutions of large cities of countries with the cold climate. The salinization adversely affects the environment and urban health. The data on the content of readily soluble salts, the response of the medium, and a number of other indices of soils of Moscow’s different functional areas are presented. Stocks of ion-pollutants in the root zone soil layers have been identified. The expansion of anomalies of salt reserves and enhancement of the salt process within individual functional areas was noted. The maximum pollution was observed in the soils of the transport zone (dissolved solids reached 0.19%), which corresponds to the average degree of salinity. According to the prevailing ionic composition, most of the soils was foundd to belong to the sodium chloride class. Revealed growth of fine silt fraction (fine dust) during soil salinization was detected.

The assessment of potential risks of chloride salts and their effect on seed germination and plant development

“…Городское озеленение выполняет важную рекреационную функцию, но его эффективность снижается вследствие значительных физикохимических и функциональных изменений в почвах, связанных с поступлением в экосистему высоких концентраций смесей хлоридных солей и тяжёлых металлов. Такая ситуация обусловливает не только увеличение токсичности в объектах окружающей среды, но оказывает воздействие и на здоровье человека [12,13]. Накопление солей в корнеобитаемом слое почв приводит к угнетению, а в ряде случаев и к гибели растений.…”

Journal of Water and Land Development

“…In Russian cities, excessive use of de-icing agents on pavements and pedestrian paths, as well as storage of contaminated snow from roadways and residential parking lots on lawns, has been widespread in recent years [GERASIMOV, CHUGUNOVA 2015;MALYSHEVA et al 2018]. In Perm, snow and soil cover of roadside lawns and squares contain significant concentrations of Ni, As, Zn, Cu, Co, Pb, W, Cr, and Sb [VORONCHIKHINA et al 2014].…”