Comparative estimation of soil and plant pollution in the impact area of air emissions from an aluminium plant after technogenic load reduction

Abstract

The work provides a comparative analysis of changes in soil properties in the last 10–13 years along the pollution gradient of air emissions from Kandalaksha aluminium plant in connection with the reduction of their volume. The content of the priority pollutant fluorine (F) in atmospheric precipitation and in the organic horizon of soil in the plant impact zone significantly decreased in 2011–2013 compared to 2001. The aluminium concentrations reduced only in immediate proximity to the plant (2 km). The fluorine, calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) concentrations are higher in liquid phase compared to solid phase thus these elements can migrated to greater distances from the pollution source (up to 15–20 km). Silicon (Si), aluminium (Al), iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) can be found only in solid phases and in fall-out within the 5 km. The acidity of soil litter reduced by 2 pH units in the proximity to the plot within the 2 km. The zone of maximum soil contamination decreased from 2.5 km to 1.5 km from the emission source, the zones of heavy and moderate pollution reduced by 5 km in connection with the reduction of pollutant emissions in the plant. A high correlation between the fluorine concentrations in vegetables and litter was found. Higher fluorine concentrations in the soil result in its accumulation in plants. Mosses accumulate fluorine most intensively.

Keywords:

• Air emissions
• aluminium plant
• fluorine
• pollution soil and vegetation

Acknowledgments

We express our thanks to Olga Evdokimova for her help in arranging this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Project no. 12-04-00547a.