TY - JOUR

T1 - Ecological-geochemical assessment of soil condition in historical center of St. Petersburg

AU - Ufimtseva, M. D.

AU - Terekhina, N. V.

PY - 2014/1/1

Y1 - 2014/1/1

N2 - Ecological-geochemical assessment of Central district of St. Petersburg was made on the base of analysis of heavy metals content in urban soil. The main contaminants of urban soils determined by average coefficient of concentration, which is the element content in soil sample to background content ratio, are Zn(11,5), Pb(7,2), Cd(4,3), Cu(3,8). Their concentrations vary within: Zn (193-1170 mg/kg), Pb (56,2- 499 mg/ kg), Cd (0,025-1,56 mg/kg), Cu (38,4-318 mg/kg). Total index of contamination for soil, calculated taking into account hazard class of heavy metals, is 36,5 (the maximum value of the index being 77), which characterizes the hazardous category of contamination (this category refers to 48% of the samples). Factor analysis identified three groups of elements: first factor has contributed 48,85% and unites Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ba; second factor has contributed 16,67% and unites Cr, Ni, Co; third factor has contributed 12,69% and unites Fe and Mn. Delivery of these elements is due to different reasons: the first two groups are associated with the antropogenic factor, the third group is more related to the natural processes of soil formation. Sr has no strong correlations with other elements, and its lowest coefficient of concentration suggests that this element can not be regarded as a contaminant. The main cause of soil contamination is likely to be the impact of vehicle emissions, although local contamination of urban soil (entering of untested soils in the reconstruction of lawns, waste building materials, etc.) cannot be ruled out. The spatial distribution of contaminants is focal and diffuse, that being the rule for integrated urban contamination. Refs 21. Figs 5. Tables 8.

AB - Ecological-geochemical assessment of Central district of St. Petersburg was made on the base of analysis of heavy metals content in urban soil. The main contaminants of urban soils determined by average coefficient of concentration, which is the element content in soil sample to background content ratio, are Zn(11,5), Pb(7,2), Cd(4,3), Cu(3,8). Their concentrations vary within: Zn (193-1170 mg/kg), Pb (56,2- 499 mg/ kg), Cd (0,025-1,56 mg/kg), Cu (38,4-318 mg/kg). Total index of contamination for soil, calculated taking into account hazard class of heavy metals, is 36,5 (the maximum value of the index being 77), which characterizes the hazardous category of contamination (this category refers to 48% of the samples). Factor analysis identified three groups of elements: first factor has contributed 48,85% and unites Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ba; second factor has contributed 16,67% and unites Cr, Ni, Co; third factor has contributed 12,69% and unites Fe and Mn. Delivery of these elements is due to different reasons: the first two groups are associated with the antropogenic factor, the third group is more related to the natural processes of soil formation. Sr has no strong correlations with other elements, and its lowest coefficient of concentration suggests that this element can not be regarded as a contaminant. The main cause of soil contamination is likely to be the impact of vehicle emissions, although local contamination of urban soil (entering of untested soils in the reconstruction of lawns, waste building materials, etc.) cannot be ruled out. The spatial distribution of contaminants is focal and diffuse, that being the rule for integrated urban contamination. Refs 21. Figs 5. Tables 8.

KW - Central district

KW - Dangerous level of contamination of soil

KW - Heavy metals

KW - St. Petersburg

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042603978&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85042603978

VL - 2014

SP - 122

EP - 136

JO - Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Науки о Земле

JF - Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Науки о Земле

SN - 2541-9668

IS - 2

ER -