Ecological and Hygienic Assessment of the Environmental Conditions in the Area of a Burning Spoil Tip of the Donetsk Coal Basin

Abstract

Burning spoil tips of the Donetsk coal basin pose a serious threat to the ecology of the region and the health of its residents. Solving this problem requires joint efforts of the state, scientific community and society. Only an integrated approach will help minimize the negative consequences of the anthropogenic impact and ensure sustainable development of this territory. The purpose of this article was to study the temporal and spatial characteristics of environmental pollution in the area of a burning coal-based spoil tip. Materials and methods. An ecological and hygienic assessment of the environment was carried out on the territory of the Sverdlov mine (Sverdlovsk, Lugansk People’s Republic) from 2009 to 2013. Maximum one-time samples of atmospheric air were collected from the leeward side of the tip at a distance of up to 500 m (zone I) and 500–1000 m (zone II); soil samples were taken in zone I. Air quality was determined based on the content of suspended solids and gaseous components (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and phenol) in the atmospheric air. Soil contamination with metals (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Mn) and arsenic was measured using N.A. Bogdanov’s method. Results. The particle size of coal dust decreased with distance from the spoil tip. The level of air pollution in the studied areas was classified as unacceptable. Soil contamination with heavy metals and arsenic should be considered hazardous within the sanitary protection zone and moderately hazardous at a distance of 1000 m from the zone’s boundary. Near the emission source, increased concentrations of pollutants in the dust pose a danger, while with distance, the proportion of fine particles in the atmospheric air increases.