Diagnostics of Acid Sulfate Soils in a Coal Mining Area of the Taiga Zone

Abstract

Technogenic soils result from the oxidation and hydrolysis of minerals in rocks extracted from mining areas and brought to the surface. Diagnostics of such soils involve a set of detailed tests, which can be both time-consuming and costly. In this study, the pH of sulfate soils in the Kizel Coal Basin (Perm krai, Russia) was determined using hydrogen peroxide. Particularly, the soils affected by runoff from rock dumps, outflow, and mine water discharge were examined. The findings showed pH-H2O2 below 2.5 in certain horizons, indicating the presence of sulfides. Additionally, the soils exhibited significantly higher levels of mobile sulfur and iron, total sulfur, and sulfates, ranging from tens to hundreds of times above the background content. XRD analysis revealed that the soils contained goethite and jarosite, thereby confirming the efficacy of pH determination with hydrogen peroxide for the prompt diagnostics of acid sulfate soils.

Keywords

• kizel coal basin
• coal
• acid sulfate soils
• acidity
• goethite
• jarosite