Integral assessment of river sediments technogenic contamination within Eastern Donbass coal-mining area
V.N. Reshetnyak, V.E. Zakrutkin, E.V. Gibkov
Section: Chemistry of natural environments and objects
Long-term coal mining and processing as well as the impact of coal mining facilities on environmental components within the Eastern Donbass have led to a number of hydroecological problems, which have been intensified by the liquidation of coal mines.
Based on the analysis of conventional methods and approaches the main principles of the integral assessment of the river sediments contamination level have been formulated, the integral contamination index of river sediments has been proposed and criteria for assessing the river sediments contamination level have been developed. For testing the proposed approach the calculation and assessment of the levels of sediments contamination in the rivers of the coal-mining area of the Eastern Donbass (Rostov region, Russia) has been carried out. The results of the assessment obtained using the integral contamination index of river sediments are compared with the results obtained using conventional indices and indicators. The integral contamination index of river sediments proposed by the authors includes the element hazard
coefficients for aquatic ecosystems and the pelitic fraction share. This allows us to reflect not only the level of pollutant accumulation in sediments, but also to consider the risk of secondary water pollution with the sediments material.
In general, river sediments in the most part of the river sections within the Eastern Donbass can be classified as moderately polluted. The high level of river sediments contamination in some sections of the rivers still remains due to a higher technogenic load. Thus, the integral contamination index of river sediments allows researchers to correctly assess the level of river sediments pollution within technogenically disturbed areas.
Keywords: river sediments, coal-mining areas, integral contamination index of river sediments, secondary water pollution
Article published in number 4 for 2022 DOI: 10.25750/1995-4301-2022-4-080-087
ISSN 1995-4301
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