Technogenic salinization of podzolic and alluvial soils of the middle taiga subzone of West Siberia

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

The aim of the study was to identify the main trends and patterns of migration and accumulation of oil pollutants (petroleum products, easily soluble salts) in soils of the middle taiga subzone of West Siberia. Location and time of the study. Soil geography and genesis were studied in 2019 and 2023 in the middle taiga subzone of West Siberia in the middle part of the Ob River in various elementary landscapes. Methods. Oil compounds were determined in hexane extracts from soil using Fluorat-2 apparatus. The qualitative composition of salts was assessed in water extracts. Results. Highly mineralized waters were found to have a more significant impact on the properties of podzolic and alluvial soils in West Siberia than the crude oil. Combined oil and salt pollution was accompanied by a high content of toxic salts in the root-inhabited horizons. The discharge of mineralized water during emergency spills under the conditions of waterlogged taiga landscapes in West Siberia led to the formation of technogenically salinized soils in areas where the natural development of salinization is impossible. Therefore, soil salinization in a humid climate can be considered a superimposed soil-forming process. Conclusions. The results allow assessing the ecological state of soils (their chemistry, degree of salinity, reserve of toxic salts) and develop proposals for the remediation of oil and salt contaminated soils. The combined effect of halogenesis and alkalization processes is not typical for humid soil formation zones, where natural processes of salinization and halogenesis are not developed due to excess moisture and flushing water regime. Technogenic salinization associated with oil production is often found in such regions and does not depend on climatic conditions. Due to the lack of industrial reclamation of soils subjected to technogenic salinization in the middle taiga subzone of West Siberia, the studies of soil ecology in the contaminated areas are one of the urgent tasks of soil science and ecology. At the same time, taking into account the nature of pollution, the chemistry of salinization and soils catenary positions in the landscape will allow adapting the reclamation methods of technogenically saline soils for a specific contaminated area, which will subsequently allow completing soil restoration during reclamation activities.