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

The paper presents new data on the structural position, mineralogy, and geochemistry of ores of the Aliya ore cluster and their technological specifics. The mineralogical and geochemical zoning of the Verkhne-Aliinskoe gold deposit and the entire Aliya ore cluster is considered. We show the subordination of the local and horizontal zoning of mineralization within the ore cluster and the localization of granitoids of the late phase of the Late Jurassic Akatui Complex. A conclusion is drawn about the relationship of mineralization with granitoids within a single ore-magmatic system that existed under unstable shallow-depth P - T - X conditions transitional to subsurface ones. This specifics distinguishes the Verkhne-Aliinskoe deposit from the compositionally similar Sredne-Golgotaiskoe and Sosnovskoe deposits and partly determined the technological resistance of its ores.

This paper presents several opposing points of view on the ore-controlling structure of the large (~2000 t) Sukhoi Log gold deposit, as well as data on a detailed geostructural analysis. The deposit is located in the southern margins of the Siberian Craton in black shale deposits of the Khomolkha Formation (610-600 Ma) on the territory of the Baikal-Patom fold belt. It is revealed that the Baikal-Patom belt is characterized by a complex regional structure resulting from the accretion of the Baikal-Muya belt to the Siberian Craton. The formation of industrial ores of the Sukhoi Log deposit and ore-controlling folding dates back to the Late Ordovician- Early Silurian (~450-420 Ma). The second stage of the development of weakly gold-bearing ores falls on the Early Carboniferous (340-300 Ma). The study demonstrates the absence of an ore-controlling fault zone of the syn-folding stage (450-420 Ma). It is shown that the internal structure of the gold ore zone is comprised of intensely deformed rocks in the anticline core with bedding-plane gold-quartz-pyrite veinlets. It is concluded that the Sukhoi Log deposit is a classic example of disharmonic folding of plastic rocks in the anticline core, where the signs of two stages of structure formation are combined: buckle folding with flow and laminar flow. The present geostructural studies of the deposit and the previously published data suggest that this is an orogenic deposit with metamorphic-metasomatic redistribution of ore matter.

The paper summarizes the results of long-term geochemical studies on the regional geology of the Bodaibo synclinorium as a whole and the local (ore) geology of individual orogenic gold deposits located within the world’s largest Lena metallogenic province. The main attention is focused on the role of organic matter in ore genesis. The paper presents results of a study of the transformation of organic matter of carbonaceous shales (soluble (bitumen) and insoluble carbonaceous matter) during catagenetic and metamorphic transformations. The absence of a significant correlation between insoluble carbon and gold has been demonstrated. This is due to the low sorption capacity of graphitized organic matter relative to its primary (precatagenic) counterpart. Carboxylic esters (lipids) have been identified in bitumens of carbonaceous shales, thus confirming the bacterial and planktonogenic origin of the primary organic matter of sediments. The similar gold contents in bitumen from rocks within the studied deposits and in bitumen from remote rocks indicate the presence of gold in the organic fluid. It is concluded that carbon plays one of the leading roles in the gold mobilization and migration at the stage of catagenesis. However, the hypothesis that organic matter can be a barrier to metal-bearing hydrotherms is not confirmed. Based on the model of the catagenetic formation of oil fields, we show the high probability of the formation of gold mineralization at the Dal’naya Taiga-Zhuya stratigraphic level in the Neoproterozoic section of the Baikal-Patom region.

We carried out palaeontological studies of the Vendian-Cambrian boundary strata from the Leningrad Region in the north of the East European Platform (northern part of the Baltic Basin). A stratigraphic succession of micro- and macrofossil associations has been recognised in the Taitsy-2 drill-core section comprising three Upper Vendian associations: (I) Aataenia reticularis, (II) Vendotaenia antiqua - Incertae sedis Forma 1, and (III) Bicuspidata fusiformis - Vanavarataenia insolita of the Kotlin Regional Stage; and two Lower Cambrian associations: (IV) Ceratophyton sp. - Teophipolia lacerate of the combined Rivne-Lontova Regional Stage, and (V) Archaeodiscina umbonulata - Globosphaeridium cerinum - Skiagia orbiculare of the Dominopol Regional Stage. The early Cambrian taxa Ceratophyton sp., Granomarginata squamacea , Teophipolia lacerata , and Platysolenites antiquissimus first appearing at the base of the Lomonosov Formation and extending their stratigraphic range into the overlying Siverskaya Formation define the position of Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. The Rivne and Lontova regional stages are indistinguishable based on palaeontological data. The cooccurrence of fragmented metazoan fossils and acanthomorph acritarchs in the Lükati Formation expands the palaeontological characteristics of the Dominopol Regional Stage of the European part of Russia. We also conducted isotope-geochronological studies of sandstone-hosted glauconite from the Lower Cambrian Siverskaya Formation that yielded a Rb-Sr date of 457 ± 3 Ma. The glauconite appears to be altered and rejuvenated as suggested by mineralogy and crystallochemistry data, is not suitable for stratigraphic purposes, but provides information on timing and contribution of later geological processes.

We report the results of deep magnetotelluric sounding, conducted for the first time within the Tunka basin system, which belongs to the southwestern flank of the Baikal Rift Zone. Despite the regional scope of the study, electrical conductivity anomalies were identified at virtually all intervals of the geoelectric section constructed to depths of 70 km. In the western part of the Tunka Rift, at the lower lithosphere level, there is an area of rocks that were presumably heated by a mantle plume, which was identified in previous studies in northern Mongolia. The position of the crustal conductive layer, which likely is a mineralized reservoir of planetary scale, is atypical: its thickness increases, and its roof rises towards the central part of the Tunka Basin. In the upper part of the Earth’s crust, subvertical conductive zones have been distinguished, which can be traced from the crustal conductive layer to sedimentary deposits. These zones are associated with fluid migration channels transporting geotherms of mantle origin. A correlation has been noted between these subvertical conductive anomalies and known thermal and/or mineral groundwater outlets, including “Nilova Pustyn”, “Arshan”, and “Zhemchug”. Additionally, one of the subvertical conductive zones in the eastern Tunka Rift, associated with a fluid migration channel, has been detected within sedimentary deposits (or does not reach them) near the Tibel’ti village, where the presence of geothermal waters had not been previously documented.

4D seismic is a series of time laps 3D seismic surveys employed during development of oil and gas fields. Its goal is to register changes in seismic wavefield within target interval caused by hydrocarbon extraction, which allows for optimization of field development plan (i.e. optimizing reservoir drainage, oil well placement, reducing reservoir development uncertainty, etc.). This article provides the first comprehensive analysis of the current state of 4D seismic in Russia, where, unfortunately, there are only a few cases of utilization of this technology, while global experience already includes hundreds of successful examples. Various options for its implementation for deep-sea (offshore) and onshore hydrocarbon exploration and production are considered. However, not numerous, practically all known cases of 4D seismic survey acquisition over Russian hydrocarbon fields are analyzed, and future prospects of this technology in Russia are assessed.

The article, by the example of a layered material which can be reduced to a two-layer equivalent illustrates the differences in the frequency and transient responses of interfacial polarization depending on which source - current or voltage - is used to excite the ground in electrical and EM geophysical prospecting methods. In material science, a voltage source is usually used to study interfacial polarization. In this case, the manifestations of interfacial polarization are known as the Maxwell-Wagner effect. As for the geophysical induced polarization method, it uses a current source to energize the ground, which causes frequency and transient responses of the interfacial polarization to differ from those predicted by the Maxwell-Wagner theory. In principle, using the interfacial polarization frequency or transient responses measured with both current and voltage sources, one can find all properties of the equivalent two-layered model. In practice, however, polarization of grounding electrodes complicates the in-situ studies of the Maxwell-Wagner effect using a grounded source. There is no such a problem in the time domain electromagnetic prospecting method: when the current in the transmitter loop is switched off, a vortex electric field is induced in the ground, which - in terms of the circuit theory - is equivalent to using the voltage source.

Paleointensity determinations of the geomagnetic field in the Proterozoic were obtained using a set of rocks sampled from intrusive bodies in the north of the Siberian platform aged ~1500 Ma. Magnetic and thermomagnetic properties of rocks were studied in detail. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopic analyses were performed. It is shown that single- and small pseudo-single-domain magnetite grains serve as carriers of the characteristic natural remanent magnetization component. Paleointensity B _anc was determined using the Thellier-Coe method with the checkpoint procedure (test heating to lower temperatures) and the Wilson-Burakov method. A total of 22 determinations (34 with duplicates) satisfying modern reliability criteria were obtained for six sites. All of them exhibit low values of the field magnitude and virtual dipole moment. They change within a range of (4.7-17.6) μT and (1.21-3.85) ×10²² Am², respectively, which is approximately four times lower than their mean values in the modern era. Paleointensity determinations for the Proterozoic presented in the international database and the inclination function a ( I ) = 1/(1 + 3cos²(I))^1/2 were subjected to a joint analysis. It is revealed that the data on the diagram ( B _anc, a(I)) are divided into high- and low-paleointensity clusters. At the same time, both clusters indicate a dipole field geometry regardless of intensity. The analysis confirms the hypothesis of the bimodal geomagnetic field generation regime in the Proterozoic, which may indicate the absence of a solid inner core in the early and middle Proterozoic, attributing its formation to a later era (Ediacaran).

Quantitative analysis of the gas mixture absorption spectra is complicated by noise. The parameters of standard filters are related to the entire analyzed spectral range. This means that the filter parameters being optimal for strong absorption lines are not optimal for weak absorption lines and vice versa. An approach to create adaptive filter for denoising experimental spectra based on the combination of a windowed version of a standard filter with the independent component analysis is suggested and implemented with the Savitzky-Golay filter as an example. The numerical simulation was carried out at normal conditions for the absorption spectra of the model of mid-latitude summer atmosphere in the 100-1000 GHz spectral range. The efficiency of the suggested adaptive and the standard versions of Savitzky-Golay filter was compared using a quantitative criterion of the proximity between two spectral curves. Experimental validation of efficiency of the suggested adaptive Savitzky-Golay filter was conducted on the example of 200 ppm SO₂ and 10000 ppm H₂O gas mixture. The SO₂ concentration was evaluated using multivariate curve resolution method. The relative error in the concentration retrieved after noise reduction by this filter was 3.7 times less compared to the standard Savitzky-Golay filter. Thus, the suggested adaptive Savitsky-Goley filter makes it possible to increase the efficiency of noise suppression in experimental spectral data.

The paper presents the results of calculating 10 the lowest vibrational energy levels of all 24 stable sulfur dioxide isotopologues. The calculations were performed using the ab initio potential energy function of the main isotopologue ³²S¹⁶O₂, the Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory of high orders and the Padé-Hermite series summation method. A numerical analysis of the series was performed, which showed that the perturbation series monotonically converge, but to obtain the energy levels of some vibrational states with an error of less than 1.0 cm^-1, it is necessary to take into account the corrections of the 3rd-6th orders. The quadratic Padé-Hermite approximants give energy levels that coincide with high accuracy with the results of numerical diagonalization of the Hamiltonian matrix. A correction is proposed for calculating isotopic shifts, which gives a root-mean-square coincidence of 1.1 cm^-1 with the experimental and calculated data by other authors. The calculation results can be used to solve various problems of atmospheric spectroscopy, astrophysics, geochemistry, and other fields of science related to the analysis of spectra of isotope-substituted molecules.

Atmospheric turbulence is one of the most significant factors affecting the propagation of waves of various nature and the operation of devices based on their application. The paper presents the results of experimental studies of the impact of short-term heavy rainfall on subsequent changes in the meteorological and turbulent state of the ground atmosphere based on processed synchronous acoustic and optical measurements of atmospheric parameters. An assessment is made of the impact of intense precipitation on the main turbulent characteristics of the surface atmosphere, such as the energy of temperature and wind fluctuations and vertical heat and momentum fluxes. It is shown that heavy rainfall significantly changes these characteristics. The results can be used to interpret optical and acoustic measurements used to study the atmosphere.

Observations of the state of the mesosphere of Venus from spacecraft have not yet revealed transient luminous events similar to those observed in the Earth's atmosphere. In this work, a possibility of such phenomena is proved in laboratory conditions. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted on the formation of apokamps in carbon dioxide at various pressure values. The results confirm the hypothesis that conditions at altitudes corresponding to the upper edge of clouds in the atmosphere of Venus are favorable for the generation of analogues of transients of the Earth's mesosphere. Based on this, recommendations have been developed for the design of detection systems for such phenomena from orbiting satellites or balloons.

Based on a developed and adapted method for identifying Rossby wave breaking (RWB), which accounts for the specifics of stratospheric circulation, an analysis of the conditions for the occurrence of major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) in the Northern Hemisphere was conducted. The method relies on examining the geometry of potential vorticity contours in the stratosphere at the 850 K level using ERA5 reanalysis data. It is shown that anomalous RWB processes in November and December play a key role in preparing for the onset of SSWs. Most of the analyzed SSW events are associated with an increase in the number of RWB events in the Asia-Pacific (AP) region in November and December, and occasionally in January. In cases where SSW initiation is linked to RWB over the Atlantic and Europe, it is also preceded by RWB anomalies in the AP region. For the identified types of wave breaking in the stratosphere, atmospheric blocking is characteristic in the troposphere, accompanied by negative near-surface temperature anomalies over Eurasia and/or North America. The increased frequency of early and middle major SSW events aligns with the previously identified trend of enhanced negative temperature responses to atmospheric blocking in the Northern Hemisphere.

The development of the deep underwater neutrino telescope BAIKAL-GVD involves the creation of equipment for regular long-term monitoring of inherent optical properties (IOP) of the aquatic environment within the effective volume of the telescope. Regular monitoring of IOP not only allows increasing the accuracy of retrieving neutrino energy and direction, but also provides unique data for limnological studies. The article describes the design of the BAIKAL-5D devices developed to solve this problem and considers the methods and algorithms for in situ monitoring of IOP used in these devices. The sources of instrumental error in measuring the absorption and scattering of light in water are investigated and the necessary corrections are determined. Some results of measuring IOP of the deep waters of Lake Baikal using BAIKAL-5D devices are presented.

This paper demonstrates for the first time the possibility of exciting anti-Stokes fluorescence of PO-fragments of organophosphates. Using the example of drop-liquid traces of triethyl phosphate on a paper surface, it was determined that the relative population of vibrational levels v '' = 1 and v '' = 2 corresponds to a vibrational temperature of fragments of about 780 K. Indicators of significant violation of the equilibrium distribution of fragments over rotational energy levels were revealed. It has been determined that the method of exciting anti-Stokes fluorescence of PO-fragments of triethyl phosphate from the first vibrational level of the ground state X ²Π ( v '' = 1) to the zero vibrational level of the electronically excited state A ²Σ⁺ ( v ' = 0) provides the highest noise immunity of the LF/LIF method. The results can be used to select the optimal technique for exciting fluorescence of PO-fragments when implementing the LF/LIF method for remote detection of organophosphate traces.

The paper is devoted to research of the output signal composition of metal-vapor laser active optical systems under various operating conditions. The effect of the temporal characteristics of laser active optical systems on the output signal composition is experimentally estimated. The method for determining the contribution of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) to the output signal of self-adjoint scheme and scheme with independent illumination source is suggested. The optimal time when input signal enters to active medium of amplifier for providing maximal signal/noise ratio is determined. ASE is completely suppressed at a time delay of (-4.3; +25.8) ns in the scheme with independent illumination source. It is impossible to achieve complete suppression for the self-adjoint scheme. The minimal ASE value in the self-adjoint scheme was 80 mW, i.e., approximately 2% of the output signal power. The results can be useful in researching the amplification characteristics of active optical systems based on metal vapors, as well as in visual-optical diagnostics in laser monitor circuits on their basis.

This paper considers the problem of classifying cloud images, which are complex texture structures with heterogeneous characteristics. Traditional image analysis methods do not always adequately classify such images, and modern deep learning methods require large amount of data and computational resources. The research focuses on evaluating the feasibility of developing a hybrid method combining traditional statistical approaches to texture description and state-of-the-art deep learning techniques. It was hypothesised that the high-level features extracted by a neural network during training can be insufficiently sensitive to subtle local differences in cloud formations. The hybrid approach was implemented and analysed; low-level texture features were extracted from the images before being analysed by the neural network. However, the test results showed that this technique did not improve the classification quality and turned out to be less effective in terms of accuracy compared to the use of unprocessed images. The results of this work can be of interest to specialists in of Earth remote sensing data analysis, meteorology, and development of new texture image analysis methods.

Experimental data obtained in the surface air layer at two observation sites with the underlying surface different in structure are used to estimate the Monin-Obukhov (MO) scale for different types of temperature stratification. The MO scale (its sign, first of all) is compared with the current temperature profile in the surface air layer. It is shown that the sign of the MO scale not always corresponds to the actual temperature stratification.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the main greenhouse gases; the study of its effect on the atmosphere on global and regional scales is of current importance. The development of technical means for remote gas analysis of the atmosphere is associated with the development of new and modernization of existing lidar sensing technologies. The paper presents the results of the development of a 2-μm pulsed differential absorption lidar system for sensing CO₂ along horizontal paths in the atmosphere. The configuration and design of the lidar components are shown. Technical characteristics of the lidar system are provided. The results of lidar measurements of the time variation in CO₂ concentration within the city of Tomsk in winter along a selected sensing path using a topographic target (forest belt) are presented. CO₂ concentrations in the range of 435.2-445.1 ppm, corresponding to the background state of the atmosphere, were retrieved from recorded lidar signals. To confirm the correctness of the lidar data, the CO₂ concentration was synchronously measured using a mobile gas analyzer. Analysis of the results shows that the error of lidar measurements of the CO₂ concentration is 1.3%. The results of the work can be useful in the design, manufacture, and modernization of pulsed IR lidar systems for remote sensing of CO₂ and other atmospheric gases.

In recent decades, an information boom has arisen around the concept of “biodiversity” in the “whirlpool” of environmental aspects and problems. A negative consequence of its wide popularity has been the vagueness of the semantic content and the shapelessness of the construction of the beloved concept. This has complicated the mutual understanding of specialists in scientific and everyday ecology. Clarifications of the definition of the concept of “biodiversity” and the scope of its use, structuring and connection of its object of interest with evolutionary theory are urgently needed. For this purpose, an ordered system of four structural categories of biodiversity is proposed, embodying the evolutionary potential of the population-species, biocenotic, biogeocenotic and biosphere levels of life organization. The categories of biodiversity are designated by symbols: alpha, beta, gamma, sigma biodiversity. Their emergence and long-term existence are due not only to the complex configuration of ranges that arose due to the capabilities of the biota, but, to a greater extent, to the structural features of the abiotic matrix of the external environment. First of all, modern runoff-water-collecting continental-oceanic and relict basins that have lost their former connection with the World Ocean are important. Such megahabitats, clearly delimited from each other by orographic, hydrological, climatic barriers, contribute to isolation and provide biota with the opportunity to freely choose a set of environmental conditions. However, not all biological species can use them, but only those with a suitable set of preadaptations, capable of getting along with each other and stereotypically reproducing a standard set of biota over a long period of time. Attention is focused on biogeocenoses and their catenary compositions - grandbiomes, confined to heliozones of latitudinal extension and their derivatives - climatic, soil, landscape zones. Biogeocenoses and grandbiomes, as elements of gamma-biodiversity, unlike the previous categories, have the ability to involve in their contact not only living but also inert matter, guaranteeing the transformation of an uncomfortable weathering crust into a comfortable living environment, regulated by the biota at its own discretion. Each evolutionarily subsequent category of biodiversity did not destroy or suppress the previous ones, but mutually incorporated them into its structure. Such a construction resembles a series of nesting dolls, which multiplies the stability of the biodiversity system and its potential, guaranteeing a long-term prolongation of life in time and ubiquity in space of the earth’s surface.

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.

The possibility and prospects of using spiders (Arachnida: Aranei) as a bioindicator of the degree of anthropogenic impact in the Norilsk industrial region was investigated. Soil-dwelling spiders were collected using pitfall traps at the sites of three transects: Kayerkan, Norilsk and Talnakh, located in the vicinity of the city of Norilsk at different distances from large industrial facilities. A total of 119 spider species were found. The richest in species were the sites of the Norilsk transect, where 71 species were collected. A significant Spearman rank correlation between the distance from the industrial facility and the diversity parameters of taxocenes was noted mainly for the sites of the Kayerkan transect in 2022 and 2023. The direction of this transect largely corresponded to the prevailing wind direction in the Norilsk region. The taxonomic diversity of spiders on this transect is also the lowest. The total number of species, diversity indices, as well as the number of species and individuals of Linyphiidae spiders and the ratio between the number of Linyphiidae and wolf spiders (Lycosidae) individuals were positively correlated with the distance from the plant. In 2023, only the last parameter significantly depended on the distance. For the Norilsk transect, the correlation of the dynamic density of spiders with the distance from the plant was statistically significant only in 2022. Ordination by the method of non-metric multidimensional scaling for the sites of the three studied transects in different years showed that the differentiation of the sites, firstly, corresponded well to the habitat differences of the study sites on all transects; secondly, the study sites were better differentiated before the onset of phenological summer and the associated increase in temperatures and the complete formation of different vegetation layers. It has been established that soil-dwelling spiders can be used as indicators of negative impact, while it is extremely important to conduct research in similar habitat conditions, minimizing their differences as much as possible. When analyzing, it is imperative to take into account the features of seasonal dynamics and the impact of interannual fluctuations in climatic factors.

The study addresses species diversity of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and zoobenthos in twenty-eight Arctic lakes located in the Taimyr Peninsula within a radius of about 100 km from the city of Norilsk. The aim was to compare biodiversity between four zones defined based on a lake distance from Nornickel facilities: the zones of intense, moderate, and low impact (ZII, ZMI, and ZLI, respectively), and the reference zone (RZ). Beta diversity analysis based on the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index did not reveal any significant differences between lakes in ZII and the other zones. Planktonic and benthic community structures alter substantially only in six lakes located in close proximity to the industrial area. In other lakes, the changes are less pronounced and their community compositions are likely determined by natural factors rather than the level of anthropogenic impact. Significant differences between zones were revealed for the average number of species and Shannon index: both indicators were significantly higher for zooplankton in lakes of RZ and ZLI compared to ZII and ZMI and for zoobenthos in lakes of ZMI compared to ZII lakes. Significant differences in biomass were observed only for phytoplankton: in ZII, it was higher than in ZMI. Therefore, the number of species, Shannon index, and biomass should be considered in addition to changes in species composition when determining the extent of industrial impact on planktonic and benthic communities. Alterations of plankton and benthos community structures noted here are similar to those observed under eutrophication of a water body.

Quantitative studies and observations of seabirds and mammals were carried out in the NSR section (Dudinka-Murmansk). The entire route was divided into three segments - the Yenisei River and the Yenisei Bay, the Kara Sea and the Barents Sea. 34 species of birds belonging to 5 orders and 5 species of marine mammals were noted. The density of seabird distribution in summer on the NSR transects was highest in the mouth of the Yenisei, the Yenisei Bay (9.96), and the Barents Sea (8.02). In the autumn period, it was much higher in the Kara Sea (43.5) than in the Barents Sea (13.3) and in the mouth of the Yenisei and the Yenisei Bay (6.28 ind./10 km). The vessel attracted such species of gulls as Kittiwake, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull, which followed on it up to 1000 km. The main distance is the response of Ringed Seal to the movements of the vessel is 100-300 m. It is recommended to avoid passing vehicles in places where seals congregate than 500 meters. Monitoring of seabirds and mammals should be carried out in the form of periodic (seasonal) estimates of animal abundance.

The article presents the results of the study of soil properties and composition, as well as species diversity of plant coenoses in areas located at different distances from the enterprises of the Kola Metallurgical Company (KMC) in the Monchegorsk city and Nickel municipal settlement. The impacted areas were found to have maximal concentrations of Ni, Cu, Co. The ratios of soil mobile Cu and Ni to Ca and Mg in the organogenic topsoil horizons indicated their phytotoxicity. The plants in such areas showed morphological signs of acidic damage, their species diversity being minimal. High soil content of Ni, Cu, Co, Cr was suggested to be resultant not only from the technogenic contamination, but also by the natural geochemical anomalies above the ore deposits, as the GMC enterprises are located in the vicinity of such deposits. Technogenic geochemical anomalies had developed near the GMC enterprises; soil Ni, Cu, Co, Cr content and mobility were shown to decrease with increasing distance from the enterprises, whereas plant species diversity increased. Some weak and confounding correlations were revealed between plant biodiversity and soil properties, the correlation being statistically significant for soil Cu and Ni.

Biologically active compounds in ethanol extracts of the leaves of Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii were studied in the zone of influence of Nornickel enterprises (Kola Division). The total content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid) was determined by spectrophotometry and anti-radical activity was evaluated. The phenolic compound content has increased under anthropogenic stress, indicating that these compounds can be used for monitoring and diagnosing environmental conditions. The plant response to stress was more pronounced for catechins and the total content of phenolic compounds, whose concentration in the zone of maximum exposure increased by 1.4-1.7 times compared with the background. The content of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoid) in birch leaves decreased by 1.5-1.9 times as they approached the source of contamination. Water-ethanol extracts of birch leaves from polygons in proximity to the industrial facilities of the enterprise had a higher anti-radical activity (IC₅₀ = 0.07 mg/ml), which may be related to increased catechins content. It was found that the variability of BAS content in the leaves of B. pubescens ssp. czerepanovii decreased in a gradient of anthropogenic pollution.

The effect of mineral components of brown coal on the efficiency of coal microparticle combustion under pulsed periodic exposure to laser radiation (1064 nm, 120 s, 3 Hz) has been studied. The experimental samples were pressed tablets with a density of 1 g/cm³. Under microparticle irradiation with the same doses, the burnt mass is larger in samples with higher ash content, which indicates the catalytic effect of the mineral part of coal on burnout rate. The morphology of the surface and transverse chips of the samples after irradiation was studied by scanning electron microscopy. It has been found that the fused drops of minerals are observed on the surface of high-ash samples, and the channels of burnt organic part are observed on the transverse chips, along with the formation of calcium oxide phase.

Results of the comparative gas chromatographic - mass spectrometric analysis of the structural-group and molecular compositions of nitrogen-containing basic compounds, isolated by acid extraction from the deasphaltisates of high-sulphur natural asphaltite and the liquid products of its conversion in supercritical water (SCW) at 400 °C and 40 MPa in the presence of potassium hydroxide are presented for the first time. The higher yield of the acid extract in conversion products in comparison with initial asphaltite suggests that an additional portion of low-molecular nitrogen bases is generated during the destruction of asphaltenes and resins of asphaltite under the process conditions. In both extracts, the compounds of homologous series of quinoline, thiophenoquinolines, benzoquinolines, benzothiophenoquinolines, benzoacridines, azapyrenes were identified. It has been determined for the liquid products of SCW conversion that the content of benzoquinolines and benzoacrydines with respect to quinolines increases by a factor of 1.5, and thiophenoquinolines - by a factor of 1.2. Furthermore, among most of the nitrogen base types, the fraction of unsubstituted compounds and/or compounds containing a smaller total number of carbon atoms in the aromatic ring substituents is observed to increase in the conversion products. A change in the content of nitrogen bases or their appearance in conversion products suggests the presence of such nitrogen- and nitrogen-sulphur-containing structural fragments in the molecules of resin-asphaltene substances (RAS) of natural asphaltite.

New efficient broad-spectrum preparations have been developed on the basis of the aqueous solution of Novochizol with the addition of Siberian pine bark extract (SPE) and usnic acid (UA), the substance isolated from the Usnea lichen genus. Optimisation of the procedures for fungicide extraction from plant raw materials has been carried out to reduce costs and obtain pure extracts in quantities sufficient to make complex preparations. During field experiments conducted in 2022-2023 in the Novosibirsk Region, we studied the effect of seed treatment with Novochizol forms with the addition of SPE and UA on the development of root rot and leaf diseases, growth processes and yield of spring wheat Novosibirskaya 31. The use of Novochizol + UA complex as the growth regulator contributed to the reduction of root rot in the phases of tillering and milky-wax ripeness by 53.3 and 41.6 %, and Novochizol + SPE complex by 25.0 and 37.0 %, respectively. When using the seed protectant Dividend Extreme, the corresponding indicators were 70.0 and 28.6 %, respectively. The above-mentioned Novochizol + UA, Novokhizol + SPE complexes and the Dividend Extreme preparation showed effectiveness against septoria, which was 65.0, 66.7 and 67.7 %, respectively. Seed treatment had a positive growth-stimulating effect on such parameters as sprout formation, tillering, biomass accumulation, plant density, height and area of the flag leaf, and significantly improved ear structure indicators. The effect of the form of Novochizol with the addition of UA was more pronounced. Seed treatment provided an additional yield relative to the control (2.7 t/ha) at the level of 0.3 t/ha when using Novochizol + UA and 0.2 t/ha when using Novochizol + SPE or the fungicide Dividend Extreme.

Computer models of tetra-n-alkylammonium tetrafluoroborates have been developed. The transport, structural, and thermodynamic properties were studied over a wide temperature range. It is shown that under the conditions of a model experiment, crystallisation processes in the organic salts under consideration are kinetically inhibited, and the models remain in a glassy state in the temperature range from the melting point to 300 K. The diffusion coefficients in the molten state are in accordance with the experimental results, and are within 10^-7-10^-8 m²/s.

The scheme of phase formation in Fe-Pt nanoalloy was established using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), including in situ heating, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES). The nanoalloy particles were synthesised using the co-reduction of precursor solutions (Fe²⁺ and [PtCl₆]^2-) with an alkaline solution of hydrazine hydrate. To determine the scheme of solid Fe-Pt phase formation, the reduction process was stopped after 10 and 300 s by diluting the reaction mixture with cold (2 °C) water. Comparison of the results obtained using XRD, XPS, SAXS, and ICP-OES methods allowed us to establish that the formation of the solid phase under reduction-oxidation reaction conditions is a staged process. The first and fastest stage is the formation of the Pt-phase with particle sizes ≈3 nm. The second stage involves the joint reduction of platinum and iron precursors on the surface of Pt particles formed at the first stage. The last stage is the formation of ultrafine particles enriched in Fe under the conditions of Pt precursor deficiency.

Physicochemical characteristics of thermolysis oil obtained from polypropylene have been determined. The hydrocarbon composition, studied by two-dimensional gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography, as well as calculation of the iodine value, shows that the major components of the resulting oil are isoalkanes and alkenes. The results obtained allow us to draw conclusions about the mechanism of polypropylene transformation during thermolysis, and data on the fractional composition, density and viscosity further characterise thermolysis oil from the perspective of a petroleum product.

Bioremediation is the most relevant and popular method of soil purification from oil pollution, especially in the northern regions. The results of field experiments to study the influence of the age of oil pollution on the efficiency of microbiological remediation of soils on the territory of the former oil pipeline (southwest of Yakutia) are presented. Purification was carried out by introducing the biological preparation based on enrichment cultures of indigenous hydrocarbon-oxidising microorganisms, previously isolated from the soils of this territory. It was found that the degree of destruction of fresh pollution a year after bioremediation was 77.4 %, and for old 7-year-old pollution it was only 34.3 % (of the level that remained 7 years after the oil spill). For the first time, a decrease in the efficiency of bioremediation processes has been considered from the standpoint of the chain free radical mechanism of microbiological oxidation. In the absence of a readily oxidised substrate, specifically alkanes from n-C₁₂ to n-C₂₄, as well as 12,13-methylalkanes, which naturally degraded over 7 years, the initiation of oxidation slows down, and the addition of the biological preparation no longer allows achieving high purification efficiency. In addition, the formation of intermediate reaction products (high-molecular naphthenic-aromatic hydrocarbons) could inhibit the chain oxidation process due to the formation of stable intermediate radicals. The new formation of resins during bioremediation leads to hydrophobisation of soils and disruption of their water-air regime, which also could have a negative effect on the oxidative biodegradation of oil pollution. It has been shown that the method of bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils is most effective in the case of fresh oil spills.

To specify the region-associated mineral composition of the raw nut oil and seeds of the dwarf cedar pine (Pinus pumila) growing in an environmentally clean area of the Magadan Region, the content of 25 macro- and microelements in the raw materials was analysed. The results of the study allow us to conclude that the raw cedar nut oil is a source of the important trace elements - Zn and Cr. It has been determined that pine nuts can be considered as valuable food item because the inclusion of nuts in the diet in the amount of only 100 g can half satisfy the adult daily needs for Mg, P, Cu, Se, and Zn. This allows us to recommend raw cedar nut oil and pine seeds to be included into daily diet as a biologically active additive, which will replenish the deficiency of some vitally essential macro- and microelements for persons of any age when taken regularly in the amount not more than 1-2 teaspoons a day. No excess of the permissible levels of toxic elements in the studied samples was found, which confirms the environmental safety of the areas where the wild nut bush grows.

The In₂O₃-ZrO₂ and In₂O₃-CeO₂ catalysts for the hydrogenation of CO₂ into methanol were prepared and studied. The effect of oxide support on the physicochemical and catalytic properties of catalysts (CO₂ conversion, selectivity and productivity with respect to methanol) was studied using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction by hydrogen, and temperature-programmed CO₂ desorption. It has been shown that these catalysts are active and selective with respect to methanol formation at 220-300 °C and a pressure of 40 atm. However, over time, the In₂O₃-CeO₂ catalyst becomes deactivated, while the In₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalyst shows stable performance for at least 10 h.

The properties of the In₂O₃-ZrO₂, In₂O₃-Ga₂O₃-ZrO₂ and In₂O₃-Co₃O₄-ZrO₂ catalysts for the reaction of CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol were studied. It has been determined that with an increase in indium oxide content, the catalytic activity passes through its maximum at In₂O₃ content 10 wt%. It is shown that the introduction of cobalt oxide into the catalyst increases the selectivity for methanol and increases CO₂ conversion. This is due to an increase in the number of oxygen vacancies on the surface of the catalyst. Promotion with gallium oxide, on the contrary, leads to a decrease in activity in the methanol synthesis reaction. Among the series of catalysts studied, In₂O₃-Co₃O₄-ZrO₂ exhibits the greatest activity, which achieves 11.1 % CO₂ conversion with 71 % selectivity to methanol at a pressure of 40 atm and 300 °C. It is also shown that this catalyst operates without a loss of activity for 30 h under these conditions.

The effectiveness of protection and rational use of water resources is reduced due to the difficulties of assessing their quality under the conditions of continuously changing controlled indicators and the uniqueness of such variability. The possibility of solving the arising problems by applying multivariate statistical methods of control, which are common in solving chemometric problems, is considered. By the example of the analysis of the Isakovskoye Reservoir waters (Lugansk People’s Republic), the influence of annual peaks of some pollutants on the increased volatility of the investigated time series was found. The double Schuchart control charts and cointegration tests allowed us to identify the periods of statistical stability of the process and to make an assumption about the active involvement of water pollutants in physical-chemical-biological processes. In particular, the existence of stationary linear combinations of a number of non-stationary (integrated) time series of controlled indicators has been found. The results obtained in the case study of a particular water body show that the methods of chemometrics offer opportunities to obtain the information for deeper understanding of the unique processes occurring in water bodies. This will make it possible to solve one of the main tasks of water-environmental management - to achieve a balance between the needs of water users and the possibility of water resources reproduction by taking optimal water management decisions depending on the current situation.

The content of phenolic compounds (flavonols, flavans (catechins), tannins), polysaccharides (pectins, protopectins), tetraterpenes (carotenoids), as well as the antioxidant and antiviral activity of Solidago canadensis L., Solidago virgaurea L., Bellis perennis L., cultivated in West Siberia has been investigated. The leaves and inflorescences of S. canadensis and S. virgaurea contain about 2 % of flavonols. The total tannin content varies in the inflorescences from 10.59 % (S. virgaurea) to 19.7 % (S. canadensis). The above-ground organs of S. canadensis are characterised by the higher content of catechins (up to 0.19 % in leaves) than S. virgaurea (up to 0.07 % in leaves). Leaves and inflorescences of the studied species of Solidago genus contain no more than 1 % pectins and 10 % protopectins. The concentrations of carotenoids in the leaves and inflorescences of S. canadensis are the same (about 0.1 %), S. virgaurea is characterised by a higher content of this group of compounds in the leaves (up to 0.2 %). The total content of catechins (up to 0.05 %), pectins (up to 2 %), protopectins (up to 7.0 %) and carotenoids (up to 0.01 %) in the leaves and inflorescences of B. perennis exhibit no significant differences. Flavonols are present in smaller amounts in the leaves (no more than 0.6 %), tannins in the inflorescences (no more than 6 %). The total content of phenolic antioxidants in the leaves and inflorescences of S. canadensis, S. virgaurea and B. perennis is within the range of 0.11–0.19 mg/g. The radical binding activity (determined by the DPPH method) of S. virgaurea (1.32–1.61 mg/mL) is two times higher than that of S. canadensis (3.05–3.58 mg/mL) on average. An aqueous-alcoholic extract from the leaves of S. virgaurea inhibits the reproduction of the avian influenza virus A/chicken/Kurgan/05/2005 (H5N1) (neutralization index (NI) is 4.75 lg) and the human influenza virus A/Aichi/2/68 (NI is 4.50 lg).

The problem of neutralising liquid solutions containing hexavalent chromium compounds is considered. The advantages, disadvantages and features of the application of basic methods for neutralising chromium-containing waste, non-traditional approaches and combined technologies are analysed. A readily feasible reagent method is presented for purifying concentrated and dilute solutions from chromium by treatment in two stages: reduction of hexavalent to trivalent chromium using ferrous sulphate or sodium sulphite as reducing reagents, and precipitation of chromium hydroxide. An installation is described in which electrolytes, rinsing and waste water from galvanic production were neutralised. A practical approach to the problem of neutralising the inhibitor solution is proposed, which is similar to the methods used for processing chromium-containing waste from galvanic production. A technological process has been developed for the reagent treatment of an inhibitor with a high concentration of chromates in solution (up to 40 g/L) in one stage by the direct precipitation of poorly soluble chromates. Barium chloride was used as the precipitant. To implement the technology, a schematic diagram of the installation was developed, and appropriate equipment was selected. As a result of processing the inhibitor, waste water, heavy precipitate of barium chromates are formed, which can be used in the future as a raw material, and sludge, which is a non-recyclable waste. Experimental processing of the inhibitor solution shows that the proposed method is effective, economically feasible, readily implementable under industrial conditions, it allows for high purification degree with low consumption of reagents, and reduces the amount of precipitates formed, which confirms the practical significance of the results obtained.

The high-strength nanocomposite cryogels based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been synthesised and studied. To overcome the problems related to CNTs agglomeration in polar solvents, which limits their uniform distribution over the polymer matrix, cryogel composition was optimised to achieve high strength characteristics. To obtain uniform CNT dispersions, homogenisation in solvents (water, dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and a mixture of DMSO/water = 80 : 20 by volume) in combination with ultrasonic treatment was used. During the experiment, cryogel samples were stretched uniaxially, which allowed us to obtain the ultimate strength values for each sample. Data processing was performed using STATISTICA 10 software. Using regression modelling, the Dependences between the ultimate strength of nanocomposites and synthesis parameters (the concentration of initial PVA solution, its molecular weight, water content in the solvent, and the concentration of CNTs) were established using regression modelling. The obtained regression equation was adequate with respect to Fisher’s criterion, and determination coefficient was R² = 0.81, which confirms the accuracy of the model and its applicability for predicting the strength characteristics of cryogels. In addition to regression analysis, the dependences of the Harrington desirability function on synthesis parameters were analysed. This approach allowed us to identify optimal components ratio for obtaining PVA/CNT nanocomposite cryogels, which significantly increased the efficiency of developing materials with high strength properties. The results of the study emphasise the importance of taking into account various factors when optimising synthesis conditions and also offer new prospects for further research in the area of polymer composites.