Bioindication of Aerotechnogenic Pollution of Agricultural Landscapes Caused by the Activities of Industrial Hubs

Abstract

The article provides the assessment of the levels of aerotechnogenic pollution caused by the emissions from stationary pollution sources of industrial agglomerations in Zhytomyr, taking into account climatic conditions that affect the dispersion and accumulation of pollutants in soils and vegetation cover of surrounding agricultural landscapes. The examination of dust accumulated on the surface of leaves showed that it contains high concentrations of Mn, Cr, Pb, Ni, and Cu. The bioindication method with the use of white-tip radishes was applied to estimate the extent of aerotechnogenic pollution. The results of the investigation testified to the high informativeness of the offered test objects. The indexes of soil saturation with heavy metals indicated the presence of intensive processes of their accumulation. As a consequence, this territory became unsuitable for agricultural production. The inhibition of growth of radish roots identified the toxicity level of the investigated technogenic substrates as medium and higher than average. Also, there is inverse close correlation relationship between the distance from the emission source and the soil phytotoxicity indicators in all the investigated directions.

Keywords

• soil saturation
• prevailing wind
• heavy metals
• indicators
• phytotoxicological indices