Accumulation Of Pollutants Research Articles

Anthropogenic multipollutant input to the offshore South China Sea

The remote region of the South China Sea (SCS), situated far from urban mainland areas, is commonly perceived to experience minimal pollution. However, this may evolve into a considerably polluted region owing to increasing anthropogenic pollutants. In this study, we employ a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the surface sediments collected from the offshore area of the southern SCS. Our aim is to explore potential anthropogenic pollutants, their interactions, and the related controlling factors. This research endeavors to enhance our understanding of the current pollution status in the SCS and help making relevant policy management decisions. Comparison with previous reports reveals that now, the area is more extensively and increasingly contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals (Cd and As) than before. For the first time, we report the recognition of coprostanol and long-chain alkyl mid-chain ketones, unveiling the noticeable incorporation of sewage fecal matter and biomass burning into offshore sediments. Moreover, sedimentary multipollutants (except ketones) exhibit strong correlations with terrestrial elements and fine-sized particles, displaying a roughly high-west/low-east spatial variability in pollutant accumulation or enrichment. These signatures evidently demonstrate the major impact of river discharges (e.g., the Mekong River to the west and the Pearl and Red Rivers to the north) on the SCS. They have hydrodynamic effects on the subsequent basin-wide dispersal of pollutants, driven by monsoon-induced large- and regional-scale currents. The different behavior of burning-related ketones may be partly due to their aerosol form, leading to atmospheric transportation. Because anthropogenic multipollutants pose compounded threats, exacerbating oceanic warming and acidification to marine ecosystems such as the widespread coral reefs in the southern SCS, scientific management of urban emissions is required to mitigate ecosystem degradation in the Anthropocene era.

Synergistic Co/S co-doped CeO2 sulfur-oxide catalyst for efficient catalytic reduction of toxic organics and heavy metal pollutants under dark conditions

The rising accumulation of pollutants, including heavy metals and toxic organics, necessitates effective environmental remediation to protect health and biological systems. In this study, a cubic cerianite CeO2-like Co/S co-doped CeO2 sulfur-oxide catalyst (labeled as CeCoOS) with super catalytic reduction performance of pollutants with NaBH4 as a reducing agent under dark was prepared via a green and facile preparation method. Transition metal Co2+-cation and S2−-anion co-doped CeO2 adjusted the energy bandgap and introduced oxygen vacancy (Vo), which converted Ce4+ around Vo into Ce3+ to maintain electric neutrality. The heterovalent Ce4+/Ce3+ states in Co/S-CeO2 enhance the electron lifetime and facilitate fast electron transfer. The valence transition between Ce4+/Ce3+ and Vo make the Co/S co-doped in CeO2 catalyst increase its electrochemically active surface sites and accelerate the pollutants reduction reaction. The CeCoOS-3 with Co/S dopants has an excellent catalytic reduction activity to completely reduce 20 ppm toxic 4-NP in 10 min, 50 ppm organic dyes of MB, RhB, and MO in 6 min, and 50 ppm heavy metal Cr6+ in 10 min. The CeCoOS-3 sulfur-oxide catalyst also exhibited excellent stability in the reusability test. Therefore, CeCoOS sulfur-oxide catalysts are expected to be used for dye decolorization, detoxification of organic toxins, and reduction of electroplating wastewater.

Highly salt resistant composite based protonated g-C3N4@rGO/biochar for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes through simultaneous solar steam-electricity generation

Solar steam generation (SSG) is a promising solar energy harvesting technique for addressing global freshwater scarcity. However, the high materials cost, salt accumulation, and concentration of pollutants in the brine after SSG hindered their practical applications. Herein, the recycled sawdust waste was used as a cost-effective evaporator and decorated with protonated carbon nitride and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) which was termed as P-g-C3N4 @ rGO/DB. The g-C3N4 was protonated with sulfuric acid giving P-g-C3N4, which has high salt resistance via the Donnan exclusion mechanism. Besides, P-g-C3N4 as a metal-free semiconductor with a mild band gap (2.7 eV) was utilized for the photocatalytic degradation of the organic dyes under solar illumination to prevent the concentration of pollutants in water after desalination. Coupling rGO as electron acceptors inhibits the e−/h+ pairs recombination and traps the organic dyes on the surface of the evaporator increasing the photocatalytic degradation efficiency. The composite exhibited an excellent evaporation rate of 1.98 kg m−2 h−1 with 97.2 % solar to steam conversion efficiency as well as superior photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye under 1 sun illumination. Finally, the evaporator was coupled with a thermoelectric module achieving the maximum electricity cogeneration of 13.69 mW/m2.

Epigenetic mechanisms of particulate matter exposure: air pollution and hazards on human health.

Environmental pollution nowadays has not only a direct correlation with human health changes but a direct social impact. Epidemiological studies have evidenced the increased damage to human health on a daily basis because of damage to the ecological niche. Rapid urban growth and industrialized societies importantly compromise air quality, which can be assessed by a notable accumulation of air pollutants in both the gas and the particle phases. Of them, particulate matter (PM) represents a highly complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds of the most variable size, composition, and origin. PM being one of the most complex environmental pollutants, its accumulation also varies in a temporal and spatial manner, which challenges current analytical techniques used to investigate PM interactions. Nevertheless, the characterization of the chemical composition of PM is a reliable indicator of the composition of the atmosphere, the quality of breathed air in urbanized societies, industrial zones and consequently gives support for pertinent measures to avoid serious health damage. Epigenomic damage is one of the most promising biological mechanisms of air pollution-derived carcinogenesis. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the implication of PM exposure in diverse molecular mechanisms driving human diseases by altered epigenetic regulation. The presented findings in the context of pan-organic cancer, fibrosis, neurodegeneration and metabolic diseases may provide valuable insights into the toxicity effects of PM components at the epigenomic level and may serve as biomarkers of early detection for novel targeted therapies.

Pollutant accumulation and microbial community evolution in rain gardens with different drainage types at field scale

Rain gardens play a key role in urban non-point source pollution control. The drainage type affects the infiltration processes of runoff pollutants. The soil properties and microbial community structures were studied to reveal the stability of the ecosystem in rain gardens with different drainage types under long-term operation. The results showed that the soil water content and total organic carbon in the drained rain gardens were always higher than that of the infiltrated ones. With the increase in running time, the contents of heavy metals in rain gardens showed significant accumulation phenomena, especially the contents of Zn and Pb in drained rain gardens were higher than that in infiltrated ones. The accumulation of pollutants resulted in lower microbial diversity in drained rain gardens than in infiltrated rain gardens, but the microbial community structures were the same in all rain gardens. The effects of drainage type on microbial community evolution were not significant, only the accumulation of heavy metals led to changes in the abundance of dominant microorganisms. There were differences in the soil environment of rain gardens with different drainage types. The long-term operation of rain gardens led to fluctuations in the soil ecosystem, while the internal micro-ecosystems of the drained rain gardens were in unstable states.

Solving the mysteries of Lahore smog: the fifth season in the country

South Asian smog is an annually recurring air pollution event that is characterized by high concentrations of air pollutants, low visibility, and severe socio-economic disruptions. It is most frequently observed across the north-western parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Since 2016, it has become so frequent and pervasive that they are colloquially referred to as “the fifth season” in the region. During this season populations residing in this area including cities such as Lahore, Amritsar, Faisalabad, Multan, Delhi etc. are exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution. This study attempts to understand the reasons for the recent increase in the intensity and frequency of intense air pollution episodes by utilizing ground-based and satellite observations. Time-series analysis, seasonal and annual variations in PM2.5 and AOD were carried out. Satellite data of UVAAI, CO, and fire count were used to determine the fire incidences and aerosol characterization. The results indicate that during the last decade, there has been an increase in air pollution sources while crop residue burning, and motor vehicles have greatly contributed to the increased frequency and intensity of such events. The meteorological and topographical data analysis revealed that the IGP provides ample cloud-condensation nuclei and optimum conditions for the accumulations of pollutants, especially in the post-monsoon and winter periods. The Mann-Kendall test was performed to confirm the annual and seasonal trends of PM2.5. The major cities of South Asia such as Lahore, Delhi, Kathmandu, and Dhaka have recently shown a decreasing trend with respect to annual AOD. However, an increase has been observed for the period of post-monsoon especially for cities of Lahore and Delhi. To distinguish potential sources of air pollutants during extreme smog episodes in the region, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was conducted to estimate the most contributing factors to the annual smog episodes. According to the data, the transboundary pollution resulting from open-field agriculture fires has been assigned moderate importance over vehicular emissions. A HYSPLIT trajectory model coupled with ground observations and satellite data shows that the agricultural fires do have a profound impact on the air quality of the region. It highlights the importance of transboundary pollution and cooperation among cities, regions, and countries across the shared airshed of the Indo-Gangetic Plains.

Morphometric variations of two patellid limpets between artificial breakwaters and natural reefs

Artificial shorelines often differ from natural reefs in shape, composition, and habitat complexity. They promote higher accumulation of pollutants and increased physiological stress, which lead to changes in species distributions and ecosystem functioning. This can promote trophic shifts and reduced genetic diversity of gastropod populations inhabiting artificial shorelines and might promote morphological changes, which may influence behaviour, vulnerability to predation, feeding efficiency, sex ratios, reproductive development, and overall fitness. This study explores inter- and intraspecific shell morphometric variations in Patella rustica and P. caerulea between breakwaters (ripraps) and natural reefs in three sites of Ceuta (North Africa, Spain), including a physicochemical assessment of the studied locations: shore orientation, inclination and wave exposure, and substratum nature, heterogeneity and roughness. Limpets on artificial substrata had a slightly smaller extra-visceral cavity and flattened shell profile, which suggests that the desiccation and temperature stress driven by the lithological composition and roughness of the studied substrata might have influenced the registered shell shape variation. However, the high morphometric variation registered for both species across sites and substrata suggests that limpets' morphology might be responding to a complex interaction of environmental and ecological factors rather than solely rock type. The findings of this study highlight the complex interplay between rock type and local environmental conditions in shaping patellid limpets’ shell morphology and provide insights into the adaptive mechanisms that drive shell shape variation in limpet populations in the face of coastal sprawl and anthropogenic global change.

Mudskippers a good bioindicator for polluted soils in the mudflat region of southern Iraq

Mudskippers are good biological guide to marine pollution because they are endemic to the coastal areas of water that considered to be the original environment of life. Therefore, the area of Iraq's mudflats are affected by pollutants that reaching a narrow zone of Iraq and neighboring countries which regarded as oil activities area that directly affecting fishes due to increasing the likelihood of hydrocarbon accumulation. Besides, there are large ports of loading platforms nearby as well as this area regarded as a fishing ground. In the current study, hydrocarbons were analyzed using the mudskipper samples that were divided into three groups according on their length, which ranged from 11-16 cm, 17.5-19.5 cm and 20-23 cm, respectively, and the fishes were divided into three groups of weight; 7.13-17.33 g, 18.6-25.33 g and 26.7-36.6 g. Pollutant accumulation is a very reliable sign of environmental contamination. the ratio of Anthracene/(Anthracene+Phenanthrene) measured more than 0.1 (0.52, 0.62, 1.57) is in agreement with the combustion origin, Fluoranthene/(Fluoranthene +Pyrene) measured more than 0.35 which is in agreement with the prospect of petroleum input, and finally, the ratio of BaA/(BaA+Chry) measured about 0.16 in the third group which is attributable to cool combustion.

Agricultural fertilisers contribute substantially to microplastic concentrations in UK soils

Since their invention, plastics have driven a revolution in behavior in all aspects of our lives, including agriculture. In-use and as a waste material, plastics degrade and accumulate in agricultural systems. Accumulation of plastic pollution in agricultural systems has negative impacts on human health and agricultural productivity but little is known about concentrations of microplastics in soils. Here we used a historical time series to examine changes to microplastic concentrations in agricultural soils over time. Microplastics were stained with Nile Red and quantified using fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate that microplastic concentrations increased at higher rates in soils that are amended with either organic or inorganic fertiliser between 1966 and 2022, suggesting that agricultural fertilisers are an important contributor to microplastic concentrations in agricultural soils over time. This study provides evidence that agricultural soils are receptors and reservoirs of microplastic pollution, a legacy which is growing over time.

The influence of pollution accumulation on coating aging of UHV line insulators with different suspension height in coal-ash polluted area

The influence of pollution accumulation on coating aging of UHV line insulators with different suspension height in coal-ash polluted area

Pine needles and soil as bioindicators of forest ecosystems in the anthropogenically disturbed areas of the Baikal region

Forest ecosystems of Baikal region were chosen a subject of comprehensive research conducted on the basis of the monitoring network created. Recommendations of the international manual ICP Forests, as well as the authors’ developments were used for the research. The study was focused on toxicological, physiological-biochemical, and biogeochemical indicators that adequately reflect the state and manifestation of the protective properties of the forest ecosystem main components (tree-stand and soil) under the influence of anthropogenic factors – air pollution, urbanization, and irrational forest management. The assessment of the vital state of tree-stands of Scots pine (indicator species) was carried out on the basis of representative indicators: pigments, the level of enzymatic and non-enzymatic components of antioxidant protection, the content and ratio of biogenic elements, changes in morphometric parameters. When studying soil in anthropogenically disturbed territories, an increase in soil density, a decrease in natural moisture, aeration, and humus content were found, alkalization of the upper horizons and accumulation of pollutants with a low migration rate in the upper horizons of the soil profile. Air pollution and high recreational load were shown to produce the greatest stressful impact on the forest ecosystems.

Treated waste water reuse in agriculture: An Overview

The reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture is a promising solution to the water scarcity challenge faced by many regions worldwide. This review paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on treated wastewater reuse in agriculture, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges. The paper begins by discussing the importance of treating wastewater before reuse and the potential it offers. The benefits of using treated wastewater in agriculture are discussed, including increased water availability, improved soil fertility and reduced fertilizer use. The risks associated with the use of treated wastewater, such as the accumulation of pollutants and the potential for pathogen transmission, are also discussed. The review paper then presents some examples of reuse projects for irrigation and their success criteria. The current regulations governing the use of treated wastewater in agriculture are examined, and their evolution presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research needed to address the remaining challenges surrounding the use of treated wastewater in agriculture. Overall, the review paper emphasizes the importance of careful management and regulation of treated wastewater reuse in agriculture to ensure safety and sustainability to meet the growing demand for water in agriculture.

Electrodegradation of nitrogenous pollutants in sewage: from reaction fundamentals to energy valorization applications.

The excessive accumulation of nitrogen pollutants (mainly nitrate, nitrite, ammonia nitrogen, hydrazine, and urea) in water bodies seriously disrupts the natural nitrogen cycle and poses a significant threat to human life and health. Electrolysis is considered a promising method to degrade these nitrogenous pollutants in sewage, with the advantages of high efficiency, wide generality, easy operability, retrievability, and environmental friendliness. For particular energy devices, including metal-nitrate batteries, direct fuel cells, and hybrid water electrolyzers, the realization of energy valorization from sewage purification processes (e.g., valuable chemical generation, electricity output, and hydrogen production) becomes feasible. Despite the progress in the research on pollutant electrodegradation, the development of electrocatalysts with high activity, stability, and selectivity for pollutant removal, coupled with corresponding energy devices, remains a challenge. This review comprehensively provides advanced insights into the electrodegradation processes of nitrogenous pollutants and relevant energy valorization strategies, focusing on the reaction mechanisms, activity descriptors, electrocatalyst design, and actuated electrodes and operation parameters of tailored energy conversion devices. A feasibility analysis of electrodegradation on real wastewater samples from the perspective of pollutant concentration, pollutant accumulation, and electrolyte effects is provided. Challenges and prospects for the future development of electrodegradation systems are also discussed in detail to bridge the gap between experimental trials and commercial applications.

Drifter Deployment Strategies to Determine Lagrangian Surface Convergence in Submesoscale Flows

Abstract Surface convergence in the ocean is associated with accumulation of buoyant pollutants as well as with vertical transport that is important to biological activity. Such surface convergence regions are marked by a high dilation rate, i.e., the finite time Lagrangian average divergence. Dilation-rate observations are most easily derived from the change of the area encompassed by a drifter swarm over time. The technological advances that have enabled the deployment of large numbers of drifters in a single experiment have raised new questions about optimal deployment strategies for extracting dilation-rate information with acceptable accuracy and as much spatial coverage as possible. Using a submesoscale-resolving operational model of the Mediterranean Sea, we analyze synthetic trajectories of drifter polygons to evaluate the impact of the number of drifters and their initial separation on the accuracy of the resulting dilation-rate estimates. The results confirm that estimates improve as the circumradius of the polygon decreases and as more drifters are added, but with only a marginal improvement for drifter polygons containing more than four drifters. Moreover, GPS positions obtained from drifters in the ocean are subject to uncertainty on the order of 2–50 m, and when this uncertainty is taken into account, an optimal circumradius can be identified that balances uncertainty from position measurements with that from the area approximations. Significance Statement Locating regions of convergence over a finite time interval on the ocean surface can help in pollution mitigation, locating biological hotspots, and even search-and-rescue operations. Finite time convergence can be quantified using the dilation rate, but it is hard to measure in the ocean. Hence, we present a method to estimate the dilation rate using trajectories of drifters, which are instruments widely used by oceanographers during field experiments to understand the local flow features. We show that even though the drifter-based dilation rates are prone to error as a result of a finite number of drifters and limited GPS accuracy, the estimates locate around 90% of the strongest convergent features in our model.

Seasonal variation in biochemical parameters of few medicinal plants in industrial area of Gajraula of district Amroha (UP), India

Air is the primary prerequisite for life on the earth. Due to the rapid increase in industrial and automobile emissions, its quality is worsening day by day. The accumulation of air pollutants on the leaves of plants growing along the roadside causes harmful changes in their biochemical parameters. The present investigation deals with the effects of air pollutants on the total chlorophyll and ascorbic acid contents of commonly available medicinal plants in the study area during different seasons. The plants selected for the study were Azadirachta indica, Cassia fistula, Ricinus communis, Terminalia arjuna, and Vachellia nilotica. It was recorded that the maximum air pollutant level was in the winter season followed by summer and monsoon seasons. The total chlorophyll content decreased and the level of ascorbic acid increased with the increase of air pollutant level. Season-wise, total chlorophyll content was significantly different in all the study plants; also site-wise except for Cassia fistula. The ascorbic acid content was significantly different for Azadirachta indica and Cassia fistula both at site-wise and season-wise. On the flipside, it was non-significant for Ricinus communis and Terminalia arjuna both at site-wise and season-wise. For Vachellia nilotica, seasonwise ascorbic acid values were significantly different but site-wise non-significant.

Numerical investigation of the transport and accumulation of conservative pollutants off Changjiang Estuary

Numerical investigation of the transport and accumulation of conservative pollutants off Changjiang Estuary

Deciphering the impact of microenvironmental factors on cuticular hydrocarbon degradation in Lucilia sericata empty Puparia: Bridging ecological and forensic entomological perspectives using machine learning models

Blow flies (Calliphoridae) play essential ecological roles in nutrient recycling by consuming decaying organic matter. They serve as valuable bioindicators in ecosystem management and forensic entomology, with their unique feeding behavior leading to the accumulation of environmental pollutants in their cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), making them potential indicators of exposure history. This study focuses on CHC degradation dynamics in empty puparia of Lucilia sericata under different environmental conditions for up to 90 days. The three distinct conditions were considered: outdoor-buried, outdoor-above-ground, and indoor environments. Five predominant CHCs, n-Pentacosane (n-C25), n-Hexacosane (n-C26), n-Heptacosane (n-C27), n-Octacosane (n-C28), and n-Nonacosane (n-C29), were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). The findings revealed variations in CHC concentrations over time, influenced by environmental factors, with significant differences at different time points. Correlation heatmap analysis indicated negative correlations between weathering time and certain CHCs, suggesting decreasing concentrations over time. Machine learning techniques Support Vector Machine (SVM), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) models explored the potential of CHCs as age indicators. SVM achieved an R-squared value of 0.991, demonstrating high accuracy in age estimation based on CHC concentrations. MLP also exhibited satisfactory performance in outdoor conditions, while SVM and MLP yielded unsatisfactory results indoors due to the lack of significant CHC variations. After comprehensive model selection and performance evaluations, it was found that the XGBoost model excelled in capturing the patterns in all three datasets. This study bridges the gap between baseline and ecological/forensic use of empty puparia, offering valuable insights into the potential of CHCs in environmental monitoring and investigations. Understanding CHCs' stability and degradation enhances blow flies' utility as bioindicators for pollutants and exposure history, benefiting environmental monitoring and forensic entomology.

An excimer process induced a turn-on fluorescent probe for detection of ultra-low concentration of mercury ions.

The accumulation of mercury pollution in plants can induce severe injury to human beings. It is a great challenge to monitor ultra-low concentrations of mercury in complicated matrixes. In this study, we successfully developed a strategy via Hg2+-triggered naphthalene-based fluorescent probe 1, which formed excimer that subsequently emitted fluorescence for the successful detection of ultra-low concentrations of Hg2+. The coordination of N and S atoms with Hg2+ facilitated the formation of excimer from the naphthalene-conjugated planes that were in sufficiently close proximity. Suppression of CN bond rotation also induced the chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effect, and the cumulative result of these effects was obvious fluorescent enhancement. Compared with probe 2, the other key factor for detection of Hg2+ is that the electrons of the hydroxyl group can easily transfer to a naphthalene moiety, resulting in an augmented π-electron density that enhanced the π-π stacking of the naphthalene-conjugated excimer. After detailed spectral studies and mechanism discussions, it was realized that probe 1 was able to detect ultra-low concentrations of Hg2+ in PBS buffer solution. The detection limit was calculated to be 1.98 nM. On account of the excellent performances, the probe was successfully applied in monitoring Hg2+ in water and pea sprouts with the potential for application as an advanced warning of contamination.

Recent research progress on building C-N bonds via electrochemical NOx reduction.

The release of NOx species (such as nitrate, nitrite and nitric oxide) into water and the atmosphere due to human being's agricultural and industrial activities has caused a series of environmental problems, including accumulation of toxic pollutants that are dangerous to humans and animals, acid rain, the greenhouse effect and disturbance of the global nitrogen cycle balance. Electrosynthesis of organonitrogen compounds with NOx species as the nitrogen source offers a sustainable strategy to upgrade the waste NOx into value-added organic products under ambient conditions. The electrochemical reduction of NOx species can generate surface-adsorbed intermediates such as hydroxylamine, which are usually strong nucleophiles and can undergo nucleophilic attack to carbonyl groups to build C-N bonds and generate organonitrogen compounds such as amine, oxime, amide and amino acid. This mini-review summarizes the most recent progress in building C-N bonds via the in situ generation of nucleophilic intermediates from electrochemical NOx reduction, and highlights some important strategies in facilitating the reaction rates and selectivities towards the C-N coupling products. In particular, the preparation of high-performance electrocatalysts (e.g., nano-/atomic-scale catalysts, single-atom catalysts, alloy catalysts), selection of nucleophilic intermediates, novel design of reactors and understanding the surface adsorption process are highlighted. A few key challenges and knowledge gaps are discussed, and some promising research directions are also proposed for future advances in electrochemical C-N coupling.

Техногенная трансформация почв степей европейской части России в условиях углеводородного загрязнения

The object of the study is the soils of the Orenburg region, Buzuluk district, contaminated with pollutants. The aim of the study is to identify patterns of accumulation of heavy metals in southern chernozems that have been subjected to hydrogen pollution and the studied conglomerate by pollutants of the European part of the steppes of Russia. As well as the establishment of a set of factors and confirmation of their influence on the stability of landscapes in conditions of soil degradation and further formation of geochemical barriers formed by pollutants. The materials and methods of research are the literature of leading Russian specialists studying this issue, as well as regulatory and legal documentation: GOST standards, SanPiNs, Resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation. Cartographic and graphic materials have been built that display sampling points, the content and dependence of elements on pollutants. A field survey (reconnaissance of the area) was conducted in the conditions of eluvial formation of soil and soil-forming accumulation, against the background of changes in the processes of formation of geochemical chains. Soil samples were taken from the site, and a syntaxoid analysis was performed. The total value of the maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants in the soils of the studied area within the boundaries of the administrative region of three oil fields has been determined. According to the results of the study, a pattern of accumulation of heavy metals from the area of the geochemical barrier formed by pollution with petroleum products was revealed. The perspective of the development of the influence of accumulations of pollutants on the transformation of the natural landscape is visualized. In areas contaminated with pollutants, it is necessary to carry out reclamation works: technical and biological stages, in compliance with environmental protection.