Abstract

The emissions from the Novocherkassk power station comprise 1% of the total volume in the Russian Federation and up to 58% of the emissions in the Rostov oblast. The aim of this work was to assess the regularities of heavy metals accumulation and transformation in soils subjected to aerosol emissions from the power station on the basis of the fractional composition of their compounds. Studies have been conducted on the soils of monitoring plots distances from the power station (1.0–20.0 km) during 15 years. The monitoring plots located on fallow areas. Soil samples for the determination of soil properties and the contents of heavy metals compounds were taken from a depth of 0–20 cm. The soil cover in the region under study consisted of ordinary chernozems, meadow-chernozemic soils, and alluvial meadow soils. The total amount of heavy metals in soils was determined by X-ray fluorescence. Metals in soil extracts were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The fractional composition of heavy metals was determined using combined fractionation. A combined approach for fractioning metal compounds in soils on the basis of and parallel extractions (1 N NH4Ac, pH 8; 1% EDTA in NH4Ac; and 1 N HCl) was used. Aerosol emissions from the power station are the major agents of technogenic impact on the soils under study in the Rostov oblast. The highest degree of contamination with metals (mg/kg: Ni - 64, Cd – 1.3, Cr - 145 and As – 12) was observed for soils located within a radius of 5 km from the power station along the predominant wind direction. It was marked the rise of metals mobility in the polluted soils and predominant participation of Cr and Ni organic-mineral complexes among their mobile species. The increasing of Cd mobility was provided predominantly by exchangeable forms and specifically sorbed by Fe-Mn (hydr)oxides. The environmental contamination hazard increases with the decreasing metal-buffering capacity of soils.

Keywords: Aerosol emissions, chernozems, heavy metals compounds, the fractional composition

References

Agafonov, E.V., 1994. Heavy Metals in Chernozems of Rostov Oblast. In Heavy Metals and Radionuclides in Agroecosystems. Moscow, pp. 22–26 [in Russian].

Akimtsev, V.V., Boldyreva, A.V., Golubev, S.N., Kudryavtsev, M.I., Rudenskaya, K.V., Sadimenko, P.A., Sobornikova, I.G., 1962. The Contents of Trace Elements in Soils of Rostov Oblast. In Trace Elements and Natural Radioactivity of Soils, Workshop Materials. Rostov State University, Rostov-on-Don, pp. 38– 41 [in Russian].

Belousova, N.V., 2001. Ecology of Novocherkassk. Problems and Solutions. Rostov-on-Don [in Russian].

Fateev, A.I., Samokhvalova, V.L., 2002. Forms of Heavy Metal Compounds in a Soil System as Criteria of Its Ecological State. In Conf. Proc. Soil Tolerance toward Natural and Anthropogenic Impacts. Moscow, p. 29 [in Russian].

Kurdyumov, S.G., Skripka, G. I., Parashchenko, M.V., 2010. Ecological Herald of the Don Region. On the State of the Environment and Natural Resources of Rostov Oblast in 2009. Rostov-on-Don [in Russian].

Ladonin, D.V., 2002. Heavy Metal Compounds in Soils: Problems and Methods of Study. Eurasian Soil Science 35 (6): 605–613.

Ladonin, D.V., Karpukhin, M.M., 2011. Fractional Composition of Nickel, Copper, Zinc, and Lead Compounds in Soils Polluted by Oxides and Soluble Metal Salts. Eurasian Soil Science 44 (8): 874–885.

McLaren, R.G., Crawford, D.V., 1973. Studies on Soil Copper. I. The Fractionation of Copper in Soils. Journal of Soil Science 24(2): 172–181.

Methodological Guidelines on Determination of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils and Crop Produce. 1992. Moscow [in Russian].

Minkina, T.M., Motusova, G.V., Nazarenko, O.G., Mandzhieva, S.S., 2010. Heavy Metal Compounds in Soil: Transformation upon Soil Pollution and Ecological Significance. N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Minkina, T.M., Motuzova, G.V, Nazarenko, O.G., Mandzhieva, S.S., 2009. Group composition of heavy metal compounds in the soils contaminated by emissions from the Novocherkassk Power Station. Eurasian Soil Science 42 (13): 1533–1542.

Minkina, T.M., Motuzova, G.V., Nazarenko, O.G., Kryshchenko, V.S., Mandzhieva, S.S., 2008. Combined Approach for Fractioning Metal Compounds in Soils. Eurasian Soil Science 41 (11): 1171–1179.

Nosovskaya, I.I., Solov’ev, G.A., Egorov, V.S., 2001. The Effect of the Long-Term Regular Application of Mineral Fertilizers and Manure on the Accumulation of Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr in Soils and Interfarm Budget of the These Elements. Agrokhimiya. 1, 82–91 [in Russian]

On the State of the Environment in Novocherkassk in 1997. State Report. 1998. Novocherkassk [in Russian].

Perelomov, L.V., Pinskii, D.L., 2003. Mn, Pb, and Zn Compounds in Gray Forest Soils of the Central Russian Upland. Eurasian Soil Science 36 (6): 610–618.

Protasova, N.A., Gorbunova, N.S., 2006. Forms of Ni, Pb, and Cd Compounds in Chernozems of the Central Chernozemic Region. Agrokhimiya 8: 68–76 [in Russian].

Tessier, A., Campbell, P.G.C., Bisson, M., 1979. Sequential Extraction Procedure for the Speciation of Particulate Trace Metals. Analytical Chemistry 51: 844– 851.

Vinogradov, A.P., 1957. Geochemistry of Rare and Dispersed Elements in Soils. Moscow [in Russian].