On pollution of the biosphere in industrial areas: the example of the Donets coal Basin

Abstract

The distribution of heavy metals, nitrates and other elements and compounds was studied in the Donets Basin biosphere. The neomineralization processes in burning coal waste heaps were investigated. More than 10 minerals were found for the first time in the Donets Basin; the most frequently occurring are native sulphur and ammonium chloride. In the process of geochemical mapping, 30,000 soil samples were collected and analyzed. The soil content of Hg, As, Pb, Zn, Cd and other elements was determined. These concentrations often exceed the Permissible Level of Concentration (PLC). The soil mercury content is high in 90% of the Donetsk city territory. In some places it is 7.5–9.0 mg/kg, several times higher than the PLC. A high mercury concentration (up to 19 mg/kg) was found in the soils of the Central Donbas area, where the large coke-chemical, mercury and metallurgical plants are situated. The air mercury content is about 25–30 Pg/l (1 Pg=10 −12 g) in Donetsk city and it is 300–1000 Pg/l, or more, near the Nikitovsky mercury plant; the background level is 1.6–1.8 Pg/l. Geochemical anomalies of arsenic, mercury, nitrates and other toxic elements and compounds were detected in 6000 Donbas subsurface water samples. Near Donetsk, the arsenic content is up to 24 times and the mercury content is up to 3–10 times higher than the PLC. Nitrate pollution of the Donbas subsurface water covers 80% of the territory. The nitrate content is as high as 500–1000 mg/l and more, (PLC is 45 mg/l). The sources of biosphere pollution by heavy metals and nitrates are coal waste heaps, coal mines, coke-chemical plants, metallurgical plants and other enterprises. Toxic pollution of the Donbas biosphere negatively influences human health. Further systematic investigations of the Donbas biosphere need to be conducted, involving cooperation between scientists of different countries under joint programs.