ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF SOILS IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS (AS IN THE CASE OF BEREZNIKI, PERM REGION): COMPARISON OF RUSSIAN AND FOREIGN METHODS OF ASSESSMENT

Abstract

The relevance. Intensive anthropogenic impact on the environment, specifically within industrial areas, contributes to soil degradation and accumulation of technophilic chemical elements in the soil cover. The increasing contamination of urban soils with heavy metals due to intense industrial load is a serious environmental problem. Despite the increased interest in ecological condition of soils in industrial areas, the current standardization system in the Russian Federation is not sufficiently developed and precludes an accurate specification of contamination. The main aim of the research is to determine the level of soil contamination with heavy metals within the industrial area of an urban territory, compare Russian and foreign methods for soil contamination assessment and justification of the need for updating reference documentation. Methods. The content of heavy metals in soils was determined by the mass spectrometry method on the basis of the nanomineralogy Sector of the center for Collective Use of Perm State National Research University. Results and conclusions. Russian and foreign methods for assessing ecological condition of soils are considered. The level of soil contamination by heavy metals and metalloids within the industrial areas of large chemical enterprises of Perm region was estimated using Russian and foreign soil quality standards, total pollution indices and potential ecological risk. The relevance of functional purpose of territories when assessing pollution using individual indices is shown. Similar results were obtained for assessing the degree of soil pollution when using Russian total indices, not regulated by reference documentation, and foreign total indices. It is deduced that it is necessary to update the regulatory requirements of the Russian Federation, taking into account Russian and foreign experience in assessing soil contamination.

Keywords

• soil quality guidelines
• chemical elements
• soil contamination level
• industrial areas
• total pollution indices
• potential ecological risk