Elements In Soils Research Articles

Climate and soil properties regulate the vertical heterogeneity of minor and trace elements in the alpine topsoil of the Hengduan Mountains

Soil minor and trace elements are vital regulators of ecological processes that sustain alpine ecosystem functions. In this study, the vertical pattern and driving factors of element concentrations in alpine soils of the Tibetan Plateau were investigated. Three snow mountains (Meili, Baima, and Haba) part of the Hengduan Mountain range, were selected as the study area to determine the vertical distribution of 12 typical elements (Cr, Ni, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ca, Sr, As, and Se) in topsoil with increasing and decreasing elevation, as well as the dominant driving factors of their spatial heterogeneity. Results showed that all elements, except Se, showed strong vertical heterogeneity, among which Cr, Ni, Cu, and Fe showed peak concentrations at 2700–3000 m; the highest concentrations of Mn and Zn were at 3200 m and 2700 m, with Cd and Pb at 2500 m. Ca and Sr levels gradually decreased with increasing elevation. According to the structural equation model and random forest analysis, the vertical heterogeneity of soil elements is directly regulated by the variability of climate and soil properties due to changes in elevation. A three-way PERMANOVA further quantized the contributions of climate and soil properties on vertical heterogeneity of all soil elements, which were 35.2 % and 50.5 %, respectively. This study used various statistical tools to reveal the dominant factors affecting the vertical heterogeneity of soil elements. These findings provided a scientific overview of element distribution on the Tibetan Plateau and significant references for the vertical distribution of elements in the topsoil of other snow mountains worldwide.

Utilizing X-ray fluorescence (XRF) method to evaluate the content of metal elements in soil and their effects on the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of some medicinal plants.

Soil factors, especially metal elements in the soil, play a significant role in forming and accumulating secondary metabolites, which determine the medicinal properties of medicinal herbs. In this study, the concentrations of some metal elements (K, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cr) in Cam Mountain and Tinh Bien Town, An Giang Province, Vietnam, were determined using the XRF method. We simultaneously determined the total phenolic and flavonoid content of some medicinal herbs collected from the collected soil sample areas, thereby assessing the influence of these elements on the formation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. The results showed that K, Mn, and Cr were mainly concentrated in the topsoil and transition layers; Fe and Cu elements tended to concentrate in the transition layer and the subsoil when surveying the soil profile. K, Mn, Cu, and Cr concentrations were more focused in Tinh Bien area, while Fe and Zn had higher concentrations at Cam Mountain. Additionally, results from evaluating the relationship between the content of the elements in the soil and the content of two active compounds also showed the correlation regression model between Zn and flavonoid expression by level 4 at the 5% significance level. Thus, the nonlinear model is suitable for evaluating the relationship between the content of metal elements in the soil and the active compound in medicinal plants.

Estimation of key potentially toxic elements in arid agricultural soils using Vis-NIR spectroscopy with variable selection and PLSR algorithms

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pose a significant threat to soil and the environment. Therefore, the fast quantification of PTEs is crucial for better management of contaminated sites. Versatile technique such as Visible near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis–NIRS) (350–2,500 nm) has attracted tremendous attention for assessing PTEs and has achieved promising results combined with successful multivariate analysis. This research investigated the potential of Vis–NIRS combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR) and variable selection methods to assess key PTEs (Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn) in agricultural soils under arid conditions. The soil samples (80) were collected from a polluted area around Al-Moheet drainage, Minya Governorate–upper Egypt. The samples were scanned using an ASD FieldSpec-4 spectroradiometer. Simulated annealing (SA) and uninformative variable elimination (UVE) were used to select the effective wavelengths in predicting PTEs. PLSR was used to develop the spectral models using the full range (FR-PLS) and feature-selected spectra techniques SA (SA-PLS) and UVE (UVE-PLS). The results indicated that UVE-PLS models performed better than FR-PLS and SA-PLS models in predicting the key PTEs. The obtained coefficient of determination (R2) and the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) were 0.74 and 2.48 (Cr), 0.72 and 2.03 (Pb), 0.62 and 1.86 (Cd), 0.59 and 1.78 (Cu), 0.52 and 1.68 (Co), and 0.46 and 1.41 (Zn), respectively. The results suggested that the UVE-PLS spectral model is promising for predicting Cr, Pb, and Cd, and can be improved for predicting Cu, Co, and Zn elements in agricultural soils.

Accumulation and transport of nutrient and pollutant elements in riparian soils, sediments, and river waters across the Thames River Watershed, Connecticut, USA

Understanding drivers of nutrient and pollutant elements (NPEs) in soils, sediments, and river water is important for protecting water resources and aquatic ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to quantify accumulation and transport of NPEs (P, As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in riparian soils, sediments, river water, and watershed-scale exports within seven post-industrial subwatersheds of the Thames River, Connecticut, USA. Suspended sediments and river water samples were collected from February 2019 to January 2020. Arsenic concentrations in soil (6 to 18 mg kg−1) and sediments (8 to 85 mg kg−1) generally exceeded state and federal EPA quality targets but not river water. Elevated Pb ‘hot spots’ occurred in some riparian soils (>2000 mg kg−1) and sediments (>200 mg kg−1), but the other NPEs concentrations were below toxic thresholds. Riparian soil concentrations and watershed land cover were generally weak predictors for NPE concentrations in bottom sediments, suspended sediments, and river water. DOC, Mn, and Fe concentrations were important predictors for area-normalized dissolved and sediment-bound export of NPEs across the seven watersheds. Dissolved export was greater than sediment export for Mn, P, As, Cd, Cu, and Ni but not for Fe, Pb, and Zn. Watersheds with higher farmland had higher P river water concentrations, but the larger, more urbanized watershed had the highest total and area-normalized P export. An estuarine sediment core that captures sediment from the whole watershed and spans pre-industrial conditions through present shows that export of most NPEs has decreased since its peak, but all remain above baseline throughout the Thames River watershed. Future constraints on surface soil-river exchange and erosion inputs are needed to investigate rates of NPE sourcing to the watersheds.

Watershed-scale assessment of environmental background values of soil potential toxic elements from the Caatinga and Atlantic forest ecotone in Brazil

The evaluation of the concentration of a potentially toxic element (PTE) in soils under native vegetation is the base study to obtain the quality reference values (QRVs), and the watershed is the strategic planning unit for decision making. The objective of this study was to determine the natural concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn and to establish QRVs for the Verruga river basin. Soils with no or minimal anthropic intervention from the surface layer (0.0–0.2 m) were collected and processed, and PTEs were extracted according to the USEPA 3051A method and determined by ICP‒OES. The quality of the analyses was checked by blank tests and soil samples certified SRM 2709 - San Joaquin Soil. The data set was subjected to exploratory analysis and multivariate statistics. The mean background concentrations of PTEs in soils showed high variability compared to other locations in Brazil and in the world and were (mg kg−1) Fe (24,300) > Mn (211.10) > Cr (40.98) > Zn (28.28) > Cu (10.68) > Ni (9.44) > Pb (4.95) > Co (4.08) > As (3.48) > Cd (0.09). The QRVs for the PTEs were established based on the 75th percentile, where (mg kg−1) Mn (124.59) > Cr (54.51) > Zn (31.66) > Cu (7.89) > Ni (7.20) > Pb (5.98) > As (4.05) > Co (3.40) > Cd (0.10). The chemical attributes and topography variation along the watershed are very heterogeneous and influence the dynamics of the PTEs. This survey will support future research on the impact of human activities on soil contamination in the watershed. This survey will support future research on environmental monitoring and the impacts caused by increased human activities on soil contamination in the Verruga river watershed, in the state of Bahia, Brazil.

Phosphorus-mediated succession of microbial nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur functions in rice-driven saline-alkali soil remediation

Although rice cultivation holds potential for restoring unproductive saline-alkali soils and increasing food production, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between microbial functions and soil element turnover remain unclear. To clarify this relationship, this study investigated the soil physicochemical properties and microbial functions during remediation in saline-alkali soil by rice cultivation over 2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 20, and 23 years. The results indicated rice cultivation markedly improved soil nutrients, soil nutrient stoichiometry, and soil aggregate stability. Additionally, rice cultivation significantly increased the microbial functions involved in nutrient cycling, such as nitrogen fixation, carbon fixation, methanogenesis, dissimilatory sulfate reduction, and thiosulfate oxidation. However, these nitrogen (N), carbon (C), and sulfur (S) cycle-related functions exhibited a similar “increase-peak-decrease” successional pattern with the years of remediation, reaching optimal levels when rice was continuously grown for 11–16 years. Furthermore, correlation analysis demonstrated that the succession of soil microbial N, C, and S functions during saline-alkali soil restoration closely related to changes in soil properties, particularly the availability of phosphorus (P). Therefore, we propose to prioritize the management of P during saline-alkali soil remediation. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the microbial N, C, and S functions and soil P in the remediation of saline-alkali soils mediated by rice crop.

Continuous decrease in soil organic matter despite increased plant productivity in an 80-years-old phosphorus-addition experiment

The objective of this study was to understand how eight decades of tillage affected soil element dynamics. We measured soil chemical properties and the 14C:12C ratio (Δ14C) of organic carbon in one of the oldest cropland experiments in Europe with different levels of phosphorus addition. Soil total and organic phosphorus stocks in the uppermost 20 cm did not differ significantly between the control and the phosphorus addition treatments after 80 years, indicating plant phosphorus uptake from the subsoil. Crop yields increased from 220 g dry weight m−2 in 1936 to more than 500 g dry weight m−2 in the 2010s. The soil total organic carbon and total organic phosphorus stocks decreased by 13.7% and 11.6%, respectively, in the uppermost 20 cm of the soils during the experiment, irrespective of phosphorus addition. Based on modeling of Δ14C, we show that the mean transit time of carbon in the soil was below 10 years, indicating that a large share of the carbon inputs to soil is quickly respired. Our results suggest that the current agricultural practice at this long-term experiment is not sustainable because it led to a continuous decrease in soil organic matter over the last decades, despite increases in plant productivity.

Bioaccumulation and Human Health Risk Assessment of Arsenic and Chromium Species in Water–Soil–Vegetables System in Lephalale, Limpopo Province, South Africa

The accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in water, soil and vegetables can pose a severe threat to the respective organisms and lead to human health risks upon exposure. Water, soil and vegetable samples were collected from the Mokolo River and its vicinity. Total concentration quantification and speciation analysis of chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) were performed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS), respectively. The total concentrations of Cr and As were below the maximum permissible levels (MPLs) set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and South Africa’s Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) for drinking water. The soil quality guideline value of 64.0 µg/g for Cr was surpassed in most sites and posed a great risk to the vegetables growing in it, whereas the guideline value of 12.0 µg/g for As was surpassed in one sampling site. The observed high concentrations in soil could be linked to the use of fertilizers and atmospheric deposits introduced through coal burning by power stations. In vegetables, the total Cr concentration surpassed the recommended MPL of 0.5 µg/g, rendering the vegetables unsafe for human consumption. Concentrations ranging from 197 to 1180 ng/g and 374 to 17400 ng/g were detected for Cr(VI) and Cr(III), respectively. The consumption of vegetables containing high levels of Cr and As would result in health risks in adults and children as the total hazard quotient (THQ) exceeded 1. The consumption of some vegetables particularly by children could cause serious health risks as the THQ > 10 was observed for some Cr-contaminated vegetables. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) threshold of 1 × 10−4 was exceeded, indicating that the overall consumption of vegetables had high cancer risks for adults and children. This study suggests that the consumption of vegetable samples would lead to health risks in the population.

Spatial Distribution of Leymus chinensis Is Not Determined by Its Ecological Stoichiometry

Leymus chinensis is a widely distributed species of Eurasian grasslands that is well adapted to a range of environmental conditions. In this study, we measured soil and plant chemical elements to examine the basis of the ecological adaptations of L. chinensis to temperate steppe. We sampled leaves of L. chinensis and soil layers at different latitudes in temperate steppe for three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014. One-way analysis of variance and linear regression were used to analyze the variation in foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents and the N:P ratio in L. chinensis. The correlations between the foliar N:P ratio and the variation in soil total nitrogen (TN) and total P contents with latitudinal gradient were measured to explore the homeostasis stoichiometry of foliar N and P in L. chinensis. With increasing latitude, both the foliar N and P contents of L. chinensis showed parabolic trends with significant negative correlations. The population of L. chinensis was limited by N, and the soil TN content showed a significant increasing trend with the increase in the foliar N:P ratio. The variation in the foliar N:P ratio of L. chinensis was determined through the variation in the soil N content. In different latitude intervals, the foliar N, P, and N:P ratio of L. chinensis showed absolute stability and strong internal stability, and the values of HN:P were high and similar in different latitudes. In conclusion, the population of L. chinensis in the temperate steppe is highly adaptable; and, thus, can maintain a dominant position in the variable environment and has a wide distribution range.

Accumulation, potential risk and source identification of toxic metal elements in soil: a case study of a coal-fired power plant in Western China.

Coal-fired power plants (CPP) usually release massive numerous amounts of potentially toxic metal(loid)s (PTMs) into nearby ecosystems. There have been relatively few studies targeted on the ecological influences of PTMs related to the CPP in arid area. In this work, the distribution pattern, source apportionment and environmental risks of As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb and a couple of seldom monitored PTMs (Se, Zn, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni) in the soils near a coal electricity integration base were investigated in Hami, a city in northwestern China. Nemerow synthesis pollution index, geo-accumulation index and ecological risk index were used to assess pollution state of these PTMs in soils, and ordinary Kriging interpolation was used to analyze the spatial distribution for these elements. Methods of CA, PCA, CA and PAM were carried out for quantitative source analysis. The research outcome includes: (1) the contents of individual PTMs in most samples were greater than the background values, the pollution degrees of Se, Pb, Hg, Cd and As were significant, and some areas exceeded the warning threshold value; (2) the main sources of these PTMs were natural sources (35%), coal mine sewage (11%), atmospheric release during coal combustion (21%), dust generated from coal and combustion products (33%); (3) attention should be paid to the open-pit coal mines, shaft coal mines and ash dumps where the contents of metal elements were significantly polluted; and (4) wind is the main driving forces of PTMs migration in arid areas.

Environmental Assessment by Metallic Trace Elements of Gold Soils – Case of Chami (Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Mauritania)

Environmental Assessment by Metallic Trace Elements of Gold Soils – Case of Chami (Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Mauritania)

Role of Micronutrients Towards Crop Productivity under Biotic and Abiotic Stresses: A Review

In recent scenarios, the world’s food system is highly insecure and become a great challenge to the rapidly growing civilization. Agriculture is intricately tied to food security and life sustainability on earth. The arising climatic alteration forces plants to compete for nutrients from the soil. Crop yielding and their nutritional quality are highly influenced by environmental factors (biotic and abiotic stress), agronomic factors, pests and nutrient availability in the soil. These are the nanoparticle that monitors the elements in soil by sharing some signals. Micronutrients help to maximize plant growth and protect plants from diseases and pathogens. But the alteration of the environmental condition is highly responsible for nutrient limitation and growth inhibition. 35% of the world’s agricultural lands are decreasing their soil fertility, which leads to nutrient deficiency in plants. These insufficient nutrients of crops lower the yield and nutritional quality of food and affected human health. In the reproductive stage of plant growth, environmental stress is highly responsible for flower drop, pollen tube deformation, ovule abortion, pollen sterility and yield losses. A sufficient quantity of micronutrients can help to reduce the biotic and abiotic stress in agricultural crops. The current review gives a brief knowledge to understand the current features of micronutrients in the agricultural crop which focus on the mechanism, absorption activity, toxicity and deficiency of micronutrients in plants and how it secures our food system by increasing the yield and nutritional quality.

Microorganisms and Biochar Improve the Remediation Efficiency of Paspalum vaginatum and Pennisetum alopecuroides on Cadmium-Contaminated Soil.

Phytoremediation can help remediate potential toxic elements (PTE) in soil. Microorganisms and soil amendments are effective means to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation. This study selected three microorganisms that may promote phytoremediation, including bacteria (Ceratobasidium), fungi (Pseudomonas mendocina), and arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, Funneliformis caledonium). The effects of single or mixed inoculation of three microorganisms on the phytoremediation efficiency of Paspalum vaginatum and Pennisetum alopecuroides were tested under three different degrees of cadmium-contaminated soil (low 10 mg/kg, medium 50 mg/kg, and high 100 mg/kg). The results showed that single inoculation of AMF or Pseudomonas mendocina could significantly increase the biomass of two plants under three different degrees of cadmium-contaminated soil, and the growth-promoting effect of AMF was better than Pseudomonas mendocina. However, simultaneous inoculation of these two microorganisms did not show a better effect than the inoculation of one. Inoculation of Ceratobasidium reduced the biomass of the two plants under high concentrations of cadmium-contaminated soil. Among all treatments, the remediation ability of the two plants was the strongest when inoculated with AMF alone. On this basis, this study explored the effect of AMF combined with corn-straw-biochar on the phytoremediation efficiency of Paspalum vaginatum and Pennisetum alopecuroides. The results showed that biochar could affect plant biomass and Cd concentration in plants by reducing Cd concentration in soil. The combined use of biochar and AMF increased the biomass of Paspalum vaginatum by 8.9-48.6% and the biomass of Pennisetum alopecuroides by 8.04-32.92%. Compared with the single use of AMF or biochar, the combination of the two is better, which greatly improves the efficiency of phytoremediation.

The content of some chemical elements in soils and plants of the Transbaikal Territory

The content of some chemical elements in soils and plants of the Transbaikal Territory

Assessment of the Anthropogenic and Natural Factors on the Level of the Heavy Metals and Biogenic Elements in Soils in Kosovo

Assessment of the Anthropogenic and Natural Factors on the Level of the Heavy Metals and Biogenic Elements in Soils in Kosovo

BACKGROUND GEOECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF ELKON GOLD-URANIUM ORE REGION

The Elkon ore region is located in the southern part of Sakha Republic (the largest federal subject of the Russian Federation). Elkon gold-uranium fields have the richest deposits of uranium ore, but they have not been developed. Although the natural landscapes of mountain taiga are already changed due to about-century-long geological exploration, we have the last chance to fix the environmental conditions before the start of developing. The paper deals with the characteristics of distribution of radionuclides and element in soils, plants and water of El’kon region and is based on field works performed in 2007–2008 (immediately after the decision on exploration). The Elkon horst is the part of Aldan Shield, an exposed basement of the Siberian craton not covered by the latest sediments. The uranium mineralization is confined to igneous Mesozoic complexes. Weathering and erosion cause dispersion halo of elements and radionuclides which may become probable pollutants. The studied area is divided into four geological formations, but soil probes reveal no distinction in geochemistry specialization. So landscapes were divided into three groups by level, slope exposition and vegetation condition. Each group was measured by couple of samples. The main migration features were assessed by the distribution of elements and radionuclides (some local peaks were found for 90Sr, As, Th, and Mo). The As, Pb (rarely Mn, Hg) contamination of soils is proved. The main co-locations were computated for soils. The total contamination was estimated acceptable to moderate rates, therefore, there were found local high-polluted areas in dump zones. The combined database could be used as a reference point for further environmental research.

A DEM Investigation on the Influence of Cyclic and Static Stress Ratios and State Variables on the Pore Water Pressure Generation in Granular Materials

A granular soil may undergo liquefaction failure due to excess pore water pressure (Δu) generation when subjected to cyclic loading such as an earthquake. Several past studies indicated Δu generation may be independent of cyclic stress ratio (CSR), whereas others contradicted this observation. A soil element in its natural state often remains in K0 consolidation state, i.e., subjected to nonzero static shear stress ratio (SSR). Using the discrete element method (DEM), this study performs a large number of cyclic triaxial tests and evaluates various factors influencing the magnitude and rate of Δu generation under symmetric and nonsymmetric cyclic loading conditions. The study also evaluates the capabilities of several existing Δu generation models to predict the development of Δu under different failure scenarios. It was observed that the generation of Δu can be influenced by CSR for specimens subjected to symmetrical cyclic loading and by both CSR and SSR for nonsymmetric cyclic loading conditions. A new prediction model for Δu generation was developed along with an objective framework to estimate its input parameters. The model showed good agreement with the DEM simulation results.

Features of the Elemental Composition of Alluvial Soils of the Middle Course of the Bolshaya Kokshaga River

The content of chemical elements in the alluvial soils (Fluvisols) of the middle reaches of the Bolshaya Kokshaga River, inheriting the composition from the lithological basis of two mineralogical-geochemical provinces of Central Russian and Priuralskaya, was estimated, which made it possible to establish the limits of the content of gross forms of elements and their background concentrations, to lay the foundation for monitoring the state of the environment on the territory of the Bolshaya Kokshaga Reserve. The content of 34 chemical elements was found in alluvial soils and sands of coastal shoals, of which the most common are Si, Al, Fe, Ca, K, Mg, Na, Ti, Mn, P, S with a content of 1 g/kg. The concentrations of many elements significantly differ by soil types, the greatest similarity was revealed between meadow and humus-gley. In comparison with alluvial soils, the sands of coastal shoals are characterized by a maximum content of Si and a minimum of all other elements. Turf soils are characterized by the lowest content of elements, with the exception of Si, meadow and humus-gley accumulate more Al, Fe, K, Na, Mg, Ti, Mn, Ba, Cr, Zn, Ni, V and As, silt-peat, which are highly mineralized peat deposits, accumulate more Ca, S, P, Sr, Cl and Rb. It was found that alluvial soils are characterized by a high natural level of content of As, Cu, V, P, Zr, Ni and Zn, exceeding the clarks (Kk = = 1.5–2), and low–Al, K, Mg, Ti, Sr, Rb, Na, Cl and Ca (Kk 1), the content of the remaining elements are comparable to Clark values.

Chemical Pollutants (Aromatic Compounds and Heavy Metals) from Industrial Wastes which Impacted on Planted Vegetables

The chemical pollutants (aromatic compounds and heavy metals) in the waters of the Tigris River were studied for the two sites of the Dora power station and the site of the vegetable oil plant during the summer season of 2021. The study included measuring some physical and chemical properties such as (acid function, temperature, turbidity, total dissolved salts, magnesium, calcium, chloride and potassium and sodium and determination of heavy metals such as (lead, cadmium) and the results were (0.06 ppm lead at the cycle electricity site, 0.04 ppm lead in the vegetable oil site), (0.1 ppm cadmium at the cycle electricity site, 0.1 ppm cadmium at the vegetable oil site), the aromatic compounds of the river water were estimated, and the heavy elements of soil and plants (lead, cadmium) were estimated. The results indicated that the water quality was low in salinity and low in soda, and the results of soil tests showed that the concentrations of lead and cadmium elements were (61.75 ppm lead at the Dora electricity site, 55.11 ppm for lead in the vegetable oil site), and it was (14.45 ppm cadmium at the Dora electricity site)., 13.75 ppm for cadmium in the vegetable oil site) and thus exceeded the permissible limits of the specifications of the World Health Organization (WHO, 2003). vegetable oils site, exceeding the permissible limits of the Food and Health Organization (2007, WHO/FAO) standard of mg kg-1 dry matter. The study showed the presence of some aromatic hydrocarbon compounds in the water of the Tigris River for the two study sites, through the technique of Coupled Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GS-MS), and the results of the examination recorded the presence of different concentrations, where the concentration of naphthalene compound reached 35 ppm and benzo compound ( ghi) perylene concentration reached 70 ppm for water, which indicates the pollution of river water, which is deposited and remains at the bottom of the river by the effect of sewage, wastes of stations and oil installations, and waste of laboratories.

Assessment of Soils of Mining Regions for the Content of Heavy Metals (On the Example of Akmola Region and the Northern Part of Karaganda Region)

The work is devoted to the assessment of soil pollution by heavy metals of the first hazard class in the territory of Akmola region and northern parts of the Karaganda region. In order to study the distribution of toxic elements in soils, we studied 20 soil samples taken in the Akmola and northern parts of the Karaganda region. We used atomic emission analysis, water extraction and analysis for the content of petroleum products. Atomic emission analysis made it possible to establish the presence of 29 elements in the soil of the object, two elements were revealed, lead and zinc, the content of which is close to or exceeds the MPC. The level of soil pollution was also determined by hazard and pollution indicators in the soils of the cities of Nur-Sultan and Karaganda by the content of five heavy metals: beryllium, lead, zinc, arsenic, cadmium. According to the ecological and geochemical survey of the Akmola and northern parts of the Karaganda region, it was found that the soils of these regions can be classified as relatively hazardous in terms of danger. Recommendations are given on reducing and preventing soil pollution with heavy metals