Home – Home – Jornals – Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2025 number 3

The specifics of Norilsk industrial district (NID) soils are abnormally high natural concentrations of heavy metals (HM), in particular Ni and Cu. In such conditions, the additional intake of pollutants into soils with high acidity reduces the stability of soil microflora, and increases the risks of vegetation death. In previous decades, the negative impact of dust and aerosol emissions from industrial enterprises of the NID containing SO2, Ni and Cu on the state of soils and the accumulation of HM in vegetation was revealed. The purpose of this study is to assess the current state of soils and vegetation within the impact zones of enterprises of the NID of various types and to identify the degree of their influence. Using the example of three environmental transects, the impact of prolonged aerosol dust and single contact chemical pollution, as well as mechanical transformation in the construction area of industrial facilities, is estimated. The effect of dust and aerosol pollution was recorded on all transects, two of which showed the highest values of the degree of anthropogenic transformation of vegetation (0.5-1). The most negative impact is observed in areas where contact chemical contamination is superimposed on dust and aerosol pollution. The factor of contact chemical impact, in addition to changing the substantial composition and properties, leads to a change in soil profiles. The factor of mechanical transformation has a noticeable effect on both the composition of phytocenoses and the soil profile. At the same time, the content of HM in this transect does not exceed the values corresponding to the geochemical background. The restoration of vegetation and soils in such areas begins immediately after the ending of mechanical action.