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Soil-ecological condition of the tailings OJSC “Abagurskaya agglomeration factory”
Section 1. Biology
Berlyakova Olga Gennadyevna, Federal state budget institution of science, The Institute of Soil science and Agrochemistry of Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences postgraduate student, the laboratory of recultivation of soil
E mail: berlyolga@yandex.ru Ermak Natalia Borisovna,
Novokuznetsk Institute (branch) of Federal state budgetary educational institution of higher professional education “Kemerovo state University", candidate of biological Sciences,
professor of the Department of ecology and technosphere safety, head of the Department of ecology and technosphere safety
E mail: ermaknb@mail.ru Potokina Marina Vladimirovna, Novokuznetsk Institute (branch) of Federal state budgetary educational institution of higher professional education “Kemerovo state University", Senior lecturer of the Department of ecology and technosphere safety E mail: marisha_2106@mail.ru
Soil-ecological condition of the tailings OJSC “Abagurskaya agglomeration factory”
Abstract: The article is about the possibilities of application of waste treatment facilities of municipal sewage as non-traditional soil conditioner for the process of restoration of disturbed lands in Novokuznetsk industrial hub. This study represents a characteristic of sewage sludge as a potential nitrogen-phosphoric fertilizer for the remediation of toxic and sterile substrates, which compose storage of industrial waste. In 1996, a group of scientists launched a demonstrational project of sanitary erosion-preventive recultivation on the tailing dump of Abagurskaya agglomeration factory. Using comparative-geographical and comparative-genetic methods of research, the authors give the characteristics of the soil-ecological condition of key areas of the tailing dump. The study reveals, the features of structure of the reference soil profiles and characteristics of their main physical and chemical indicators (humus content, caution-exchange capacity, the value of pH and granulometric composition). Also it represents data of correlation of different groups of plants in the structure of phytocenoses on key areas. The species composition of the vegetation is largely determined by the soil-ecological conditions of those areas. So, introduction of sewage sludge on the surface of the tailing dump caused considerable artificial improvement of edaphic state, good soil-ecological condition of technogenic soil and increase of species diversity of plant groups on recultivated site as compared to self-growing area.
Keywords: disturbed land, man-made landscape, tailing dump, sewage sludge, non-traditional soil conditioner, soil-ecological condition, embrysoils, technogenic soils.
The introduction
According to expert estimates of scientists, the total area of disturbed lands in the Kemerovo region is about 91,7 thousand hectares [1]. The natural landscape of the southern Kuzbass was significantly transformed because of the influence of more than 500 mining and processing enterprises. The substrate of dumps is often phytotoxic and has adverse agrophysical properties and inhibits the processes of self-growing. Improving phytocenoses recovery conditions in this case is possible by forming a root layer with potentially favorable
soil and environmental properties, including with the use of non-traditional soil conditioner (improvers), in particular, wastewater sludge (WWS) [2], which forms as a byproduct of sewage’s treatment.
Brown flocculent mass of activated sludge with a very large area of the active surface of particles what is about of 100 m 2 per 1 g. of dry matter, moisture in the range of 96-99,2 % and ash content of25-30 %, contains 15-20 % of connections lig-nohumate complex, prevails in the composition ofWWS. Active sludge is rich in N, P2O5 and trace elements, such as: Cu,
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Section 1. Biology
Mo, Zn. Forms of N, P, K, which are absorb by plants, are contained in concentrations close to the characteristics of nitrogen-phosphate fertilizers: NHf 3,5-12,3, NO3- 59-111, K2O 13,7, 20-40 mg. P2O5/100 g. Also, there are gradually deposited enough humic substances [3, 4]. The organic part of the activated sludge is presented by a microbiocenosis, compounds of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, lignohumate substances and other.
WWS have a high rate of accumulation in the sludge beds and at the same time they contain harmful substances, in particular, organic poisons, chemicals, salts of heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, eggs of helminthes, etc. This requires the development of special approaches to the utilization of wastewater sludge. The demonstration project, which was carried out on the tailing dump ofAbagurskaya agglomeration factory, has a double aim: the disposal of sewage sludge and remediation of toxic waste of iron ore enrichment, which are located in the residential part of Novokuznetsk [2].
The object of the research
The tailing dump has area is about of 350 hectares and there was reclaimed over 100 million tonnes of wastes from wet magnetic separation of iron ore. In the composition of the tailings is dominated by iron-bearing minerals, such as: magnetite 6-11 %, pyrite 9-13 %, limonite 4-8 %, hematite 0,8-1,1 %, among non-metallic minerals — garnet, amphibole, pyroxene, epidote, serpentinite. Great level of phytotoxicity and very high density rocks (3,19-3,44 g/cm 3) determine the long-term existence of man-made deserts on the surface of the hydraulic dump.
The perspective of extraction ofvaluable components from tails makes a conducting fundamental long-term recultivation unprofitable [2, 6]. In this case it is necessary to create a sustainable vegetative cover for prevent the development of processes of wind and water erosion. In 1996, a team of experts from the Institute of Soil science and Agrochemistry of Siberian branch ofthe Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk), also Kuzbass state pedagogical Academy (Novokuznetsk), JSC “Vo-dokanal” (ib.), OJSC “West Siberian testing centre" (ib.), OJSC “Novokuznetsk metallurgical plant” (ib.) founded experimental recultivation plot with applying a layer ofWWS with a capacity of 30 cm. on the surface of the first tailing dump [7].
The original purpose of the experiments, which were conducted on the tailing dump, was the creation of habitats, soil and ecological functions their could ensure sustainable development of the phytocenoses [7]. The study confirmed that the sediment biogenic elements, which were introduced from WWS and sufficient moisture let to reduce the degree of sterility tails and create the conditions for the existence of phytocenosis on the surface of the hydraulic dump [4].
Materials and methods
An important part of the assessment of recovery man-made landscape is conducting soil-environmental research, which included in the diagnosis of its current environmental state with a view to its inclusion in one of the following categories: relative, satisfactory, critical, crisis or catastrophic [7, 8]. For
this, the authors of the article on the surface of the first tailing dump was carried out soil-environmental large-scale shooting, laid soil profiles, selected samples of soils and described the composition of plant communities key areas [10].
In their study, the authors adhere to profile-genetic soil classification of technogenic landscapes (Kurachev, Andro-hanov, 2002). There is a class of embrysoils — young soils, which were formed in terms of anthropogenic landscape, but by elementary soil processes, typical for zonal soils. When the weak differentiation of the mineral part of the profile, embrysoils differ in the morphology and genesis of organogenic horizons. So, organo-accumulative type of embrysoils has a leaf litter A0 , sod type of embrysoils — horizon As , humus-accumulative type of embrysoils — horizon A3 [8]. In contrast, the class of technogenic soils includes reclaimed land, with the creation of artificial substrates, which similar on soil, with favorable root zone layer, whose development of soil-forming processes play rather profile transforming role [5, 7]. Detailed mapping of soil surface tailing dump was conducted in accordance with the technology of mapping along transects length of10 m. (Greig-Smith, 1967; Androhanov, Kurachev, 2010).
The main physico-chemical characteristics of soils defined using standard analytical methods of analysis (content of organic carbon Cog and humus on method I. V. Tyurin; cation exchange capacity by Bobko-Askinazi-Aleshin in modification of Grabarova and Uvarova; granulometric composition according to the method of N. A. Kaczynski; the pH of the soil extract — potentiometrically).
Such standard methods of geobotanical and floristic researches, as the splitting of trial plots and comparative mapping, were used for characterize of composition and structure of plant communities (Ermak, 2013). On two key areas four test sites were selected. On this sites were conducted researches of systematic composition, environmental indicators of vegetation cover, also assessing the productivity of plant communities on recultivation plot and self-growing area. Comparative mapping method — this is comparing the old plans, maps, and satellite imagery with modern conditions of tailing dump.
Results and discussion
The characteristic of soil cover.
The most striking differences of soil-ecological and phyto-cenotic indicators was characterized for key areas with recultivated site and self-growing plot. Following the cartographic method of research man-made landscape, by the authors of this article were to estimate the share of different types of young soils in the structure of the soil cover in the researched plots. At the recultivation area the share of such type of yong soil, as technozem organogenic, is 71,56 %, and the share of embrysoil initial is 28,44 %. Soil cover in the plot of self-growing was represented by embrysoil initial fully.
Morphological study helped to identify the main features of the structure of the profiles researched types of these young soils. At low power and youth of the soil profile, in technozem organogenic on recultivated area there are main organogenic horizons — steppe felt A0 and sod As with capacity of up to
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Soil-ecological condition of the tailings OJSC “Abagurskaya agglomeration factory”
10 cm. with a lumpy-porosity structure. The underlying horizons D1 and D2 partially painted by humic substances to a depth of 50 cm. The profile of embrysoil initial almost not differentiated by genetic horizons, its composition and structure inherited from a substrate of the tailing dump, organo-accumulative processes are not morphologically expressed. Therefore, the profile of these soils is a soil-forming substrate and may consist of several layers C, C, etc.
Due to the high content of organic matter in the mass of the WWS, the concentration of total C in the hori-
org
zon As of technozem organogenic reaches 5,86 % (accordingly 10,1 % of humus), the value of cation exchange capacity is 24,73 mEq/100 g soil into horizon A, down to 15,53 „.15,76 in the levels of D,, D„ The content of C in embrysoil initial slightly — 1,92 % (3,32 % humus), when values of cation exchange capacity are 15,08. The pH values of young soils are in the range of 6,99...7,17.
The results of granulometric analysis of young soils of hydraulic dump are consistent with previously obtained data [Androhanov, Ovsyannikova Kurachev, 2000]. The high proportion of physical fractions of sand in the horizon C1 (94,91 %) of embrysoil initial inheritied from the phase of technogenesis. Due the processes of humification and the accumulation of organic substances into the WWS, the original substrate of the dump is enriching by clay fractions, the proportion of sand fractions reduces to 80,43 %.
The characteristic of vegetation cover.
The main feature of the vegetation of the studied manmade objects is the formation of plant communities, which are peculiar only to man-made landscapes and associated with the phased development of soils and ecological communities [8].
Consider the structure of plant communities on key areas of the tailings. On the surface of not covered substrate of tailing dump successional shifts do not occur. The species composition of simple meadow-marsh community on the recultivated area was identified of seed material, which was made with WWS. Sowing longroot and bunchgrass poaceaes in 1997 and 1998 led to the development of sustainable poaceae-artemisia of culture-phytocenose. From 1999 to 2001, observed distribution and a subsequent settlement of diasporas of higher plants from natural landscapes [4].
During the study of the structure of the plant community pilot sites identified 54 species of plants, which are belonging to 22 families [Berlyakova, Ermak, 2014]. 8 % (accordingly 4 species) of them, are representatives of the family Fabaceae: Melilotus officinalis Pall., Melilotus albus Medik. and other, 14 % (7 species) — belong to the family Poaceae: Bromus arven-sis L., Festuca pratensis Huds, Dactylis glomerata L., Poa pratensis L., Agrostis tenuis Sibth., Echium vulgare L. The proportion of motley grass is 78 % (43 species of herbaceous plants). In the group of grasses dominate Artemisia vulgaris L., Artemisia absinthium L., Echium vulgare L., Lappula squarrosa (Retz.). The grass productivity of recultivated plot is 74 centner per hectare of live aboveground phytomass (or 41 centner per hectare of dry weight). The ratio of ecogroups of plants (Berlyakova,
Ermak, 2009, 2011) looks like this: mesophytes 30 %, mes-oxerophytes 47 %, xeromesophytes 7 %, xerophytes 37 % [9].
In the phytocenosis of self-growing plot were identified 38 species of plants, which are belonging to 16 families. 16 % of them (accordingly 6 species) belong to the family Fabaceae: Medicago sativa L., Medicago lupulina L.; 5 % (or 2 species) are representatives of the family Poaceae. The proportion of motley grass is 81 % (26 species herbaceous plants), such as: Artemisia vulgaris L., Artemisia absinthium, Echium vulgare L., Chelidonium majus L. and others. The grass productivity of self-growing area is 53 centner per hectare of live aboveground phytomass (18 centner per hectare of dry weight). The ratio of ecogroups of plants (Berlyakova, Ermak, 2009, 2011) looks like this: mesophytes — 36 %, mesoxerophytes 9 %, 27,5 % of xeromesophytes and xerophytes (Berlyakova, Ermak, 2009, 2011).
Accordingly, the difference in the number of species for the two communities is a 1,5 orders of magnitude. The diversity index Simpson for phytocenosis of recultivated plot (Berlyakova, Ermak, 2009, 2011) was 0,56, which is characteristic of unstable, developing communities. The resulting index on the second key area — 0,09; its usually observed in highly degraded natural communities with a high degree of dominance of individual species.
Species, which are growing on the self-growing plot, are highly tolerant to adverse environmental conditions. The long existence of initial plant communities determines the direction of further development of plant communities and the conversion of the substrate of hydraulic dump, contributing to the formation of ecological niches. For example, representatives of the family Fabaceae initiate the process of accumulation of nitrogen in the profile of embrysoil initial, reducing the degree of sterility of the substrate. However, this process is inhibited by exposure to adverse edaphic conditions in the surface layers of hydraulic dump. The high level of xeromorphic of tailing dump contributes to this.
Xeromesophytes and xerophytes represented equally on a plot of self-growing. The emergence of mesoxerophytes on recultivated plot indicates about more favorable water regime in the profile of technozem organogenic. The change in botanical composition of the phytocenose on a community with perennial grasses, where representatives of the families Fabaceae and Poaceae prevail, has largely been possible due to the presence in the upper part of the soil profile of the substances that provide mineral nutrition of the plants root system.
Assessment of projective cover of grass using the grid of L. G. Ramensky showed strong differences: on the recultivated plot it was 80 %, in the area of self-growing it is not more than 10 %. In the species composition of vegetation cover on the first key area is dominated by loosely turf grasses and dense turf grasses, on the second — sternebrae plants. In these conditions, forming of sustainable anti-erosion cover, was performed only on recultivated plot. A substrate of the tailing dump is very phyto-toxic and prevents to natural development of the vegetation cover.
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Section 1. Biology
The conclusion
The researches of soil cover and phytocenoses of experienced sites, area of each of them is 100 m 2, allowed to extrapolate the obtained data on typical geomorphological areas of the surface of tailing dump and evaluate the soil-environmental condition of recultivation plot with a complex plant community as good, and accordingly, for self-groving area with pioneer plant grouping as unsatisfactory. However, the fast formation of organic-accumulative horizon using WWS doesn’t make possibility to solve all soil-environmental problems on the surface of the tailing dump due to lack of signs of destruction and humification processes in profile of technozem organogenic. At the same this technology of recultivation allows to achieve the goal is to create a relatively
stable plant community on the surface of the tailings and significantly reduce the intensity of functioning of the formed phytocenoses [7].
In the conclusion we should say that sanitary-anti-erosion recultivation with fixing of surface levels of the hydraulic dump, in general, is quite ecological effective, in the absence of technologies for industrial processing of “tails" Creating habitats with soil-ecological functions, which will provide sustainable development of communities, let to reduce the negative impacts of hydraulic dump. Using of WWS as nontraditional soil conditioner will solve the problem of overload sludge drying beds. This type of recultivation is also the most cost-effective from the point of view of conservation of the tailing dump, as prospective industrial mineral deposits.
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10. Berlyakova O., Ermak N., Potokina M. Experience of application of sewage sludge for recultivation of tailing dump OJSC “Abagurskaya agglomeration factory”: technological platform “Solid minerals”: technological and environmental problems of mining of natural and man-made deposits: reports of the scientific-practical conference 1-2 October 2013, -Ekaterinburg: Institute of mining, UB of the Russian Academy of Sciences, - 2013, - Р. 157-162.
Kondratyuk Ekaterina Yurievna Polikarpov Ivan Novikov Eugene, Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals,
Novosibirsk, Russia, E-mail: kandy@ngs.ru
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