Известия Томского политехнического университета: Инжиниринг георесурсов (Oct 2016)
Indication by environmental components the pollutant transboundary transfer to Gorny Altai
Abstract
Relevance of the work is caused by the necessity to study the environmental conditions in Altai exposed to long term migration of pollutants from adjacent territory of East Kazakhstan. Objects and methods of research. To explore the nature and extent of pollutants transfer in 2015 the authors have tested snow cover and leaves of black poplar (15 and 17 points respectively) in the territory of the Altai Republic and partially within Altai territory at four regional transects with a pitch of 40-60 km. Filtrate, solid residue of snow and ash of poplar leaves (Populus nigra L.) were studied by ICP-MS at the Institute of Mineralogy, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (Miass) on content of 50 chemical elements. Results. The mapped data on chemical composition of filtrate, solid residue of snow and ash of leaves of black poplar found out on the territory of Gorny Altai a large halo of spatially conjugate low pH and elevated concentrations of sulfates, compounds of mineral nitrogen and geochemically different associations of rock-forming elements and elements of polymetallic ores, processed at the enterprises of the plant «Kaztsinc» (Ust-Kamenogorsk, Ridder). Zinc, copper, lead are the main elements of ore association; cadmium, tin, molybdenum, tungsten, antimony, arsenic, bismuth, selenium, tellurium and thallium are the secondary ones. Similar size, morphology and North-East orientation of the halos of their increased concentrations are typical for spatial distribution of all investigated substances and elements in melt water, dust and leaves of poplar. The length of the generalized mega halo of transboundary pollution within Altai exceeds 300 km with its average width of 100-120 km and area over 30 km2. Conclusions. The authors predetermined the similar type of range and level of elements content of the ore association in snow dust near the plant «Kaztsinc» (Ust-Kamenogorsk) and dust in snow cover dust in Gorny Altai, which makes the emissions of the plant the source of transboundary transfer of dust aerosols of heavy metals and toxic elements and their input to the region in the form of local dry and wet deposition.
