ITS3.8/SSS1

Nature of soil as a main Earth’s biogeochemical reactor is dramatically underestimated. This is the inappropriate result of outdated technologies of the current industrial stage of development.

There are attempts to hide the technological drawbacks under the veil of different modern terms. This, unfortunately, does not change the essence of the current aggravating conflict between biosphere and technology. This is a reluctance to abandon the nature-imitation approach to technology, including environmental, chemical, agrarian technology. The development potential of the biosphere is used now not on the full scale. There is a need now for heuristically qualified intuition to understand the nature of the niche for environmental soil engineering technology strategic development. This approach will ease the current contradiction between biosphere and technology. The global environmental challenge is a transcendental (not a direct imitation of nature) Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) technological platform of the Noosphere.  BGT* is capable to promote a promising niche for the environmental business development and nature-similar technological management.

One time BGT* based intra-soil milling of the 20–50 cm layer provides soil stable fine multilevel aggregate system, soil biome function for up to 40 years. The BGT* based intra-soil pulse continuous-discrete watering solves the world water scarcity problem. Water consumption is 5–20 times less compared to standard irrigation. The soil solution matrix potential range is from −0.2 MPa to −0.4 MPa, plant stomatal apparatus operates in the regulation mode. Water and nutrient efficacy is high. Intra-soil recycling of the municipal, industrial, waste and gasification byproduct in the soil layer of 20–50 cm in the course of this layer milling provides safety of the environment and plant nutrition. The yield is higher for 50–80 % compared to standard technology.

BGT* gives the new transcendental prospect to stabilize the Earth’s biosphere and climate system. The possibilities to achieve a goal are as follows: soil compaction overcoming; freshwater saving and high-level soil solution equilibria control; environmentally safe waste recycling; high biogeochemical barrier for heavy metal; of atmosphere N fixation in photosynthesis; soil organic matter synthesis, better function of humic substances, polymicrobial biofilms, and plant stimulants; plant resistance to phytopathogen, phytopathological, medical and veterinary environmental safety.

BGT*chemical soil-biological engineering intensifies the nutrient turnover and fertilizers return, decreases pesticides and nutrients off-target transport. This ensures higher yield and biofuel, higher efficacy of the technology, soil-biological reversible C sequestration, productive biosphere spreading, abundance, and safety; adaptation to climate change. BGT* provides the higher recreational potential of the biosphere. BGT* implementation requires technological and regulatory breakthrough for soil-chemical technology development niche expansion non-contradicting to Nature. BGT* is a promising sphere for worldwide Noosphere ventures.

The research was financially supported by the RFBR, project no. 18-29-25071, and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, project no. 0852-2020-0029.

How to cite: Zinchenko, V., Grishina, E., Kalinitchenko, V., Glinushkin, A., Kudeyarov, V., Gudkov, S., Savostyanov, A., Minkina, T., Ilyin, V., and Mandzhieva, S.: Biogeosystem Technique methodology as a new chemical soil-biological engineering foundation for the safe expanded technological development in the Noosphere, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-14516, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-14516, 2021.

Influences of air substances and meteorological conditions on human health

For a long time it has been known that exceptionally strong and long-lasting heat waves have negative health effects on the population, which is expressed in an intensification of existing diseases and over-mortality of certain risk groups (Kampa, Castanas 2008). Often associated with heat are stagnant airflow conditions that cause a large increase in the concentration of certain air substances (Ebi, McGregor 2008). Many of these air substances have a strong adverse effect on the human organism (Kampa, Castanas 2008).

The aim of the project is to investigate the actual hazard potential air pollution- and climatological variables by quantifying the effects on human health of increased exposure to air constituents and temperature extremes. Different multivariate statistical methods such as correlation analysis, regression models and random forests, extreme value analysis and individual case studies are used.

As a medical data basis for this purpose, the emergency department data of the University Hospital Augsburg are regarded. In addition to the diagnosis, supplementary information such as age, gender, place of residence and pre-existing conditions of the patients are used. Among the air constituents, the focus is on ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. In the meteorological part, the focus is primarily on temperature, which is not only a direct burden but, as in the case of ozone, also has a decisive influence on the formation of ground-level ozone. However, a large number of other meteorological parameters such as precipitation, relative humidity and wind speed as well as the synoptic situation also play a major role in the formation, decomposition process and the distribution of pollutants (Ebi, McGregor 2008).

The first major question to answer is whether air pollution and meteorological stress situations are visible in the emergency department data. Further in-depth questions are which factors have the greatest negative impact, what is the most common environment-related disease, which weather conditions carry a higher than average risk and what are the health risks of climate change.

Ideally, the analysis may also provide a short-term forecast from which to derive whether or not there will be an above or below average number of visits to the emergency department.

The project is funded by the German Federal Foundation for Environment (DBU) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) - project number 408057478.

Literature:

Nuvolone D., Petri D., Voller F. (2017): The effects of ozone on human health. doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-9239-3.

Requia W., Adams M., Arain A., Papatheodorou S., Koutrakis P., Mahmoud M. (2018): Global Association of Air Pollution and Cardiorespiratory Diseases: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Investigation of Modifier Variables. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.303839

Xing Y., Xu Y., Shi M., Lian Y. (2016): The impact of PM2.5 on the human respiratory system. doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2016.01.19

How to cite: Koller, S., Hertig, E., Meisinger, C., and Wehler, M.: Influences of air substances and meteorological conditions on human health, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-5641, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-5641, 2021.

The combustion of solid fuel at power plants pollutes adjacent areas with potentially toxic elements (PTEs), which increases risks to public health in the vicinity of these facilities. With an installed electric capacity of 2258 MW, the Novocherkassk Power Plant (NPP) is the top electric energy producer in Southern Russia. This facility is located in the vicinity of one of the largest cities in the Rostov Region, Novocherkassk, with a population of 168,035 people. Among the major cities in the region, Novocherkassk is characterized by the maximum level of atmospheric pollution. The study was conducted at 12 monitoring sites laid along the radii emanating from the NPP chimneys. The sites were located in the near-source influence zone (up to 3 km) in various directions and at greater distances (from 3 to 20 km) downwind. In this study, various indicators of environmental quality (geoaccumulation index (Igeo), pollution index (PI), and Nemerow pollution index (NPI)) as well as human health risk model (US EPA 1989) were applied to identify spatial distribution and to evaluate risks of seven PTEs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in soils. The results demonstrate the relationship between the features of atmospheric circulation and PTE content in soils within the NPP impact zone. The main pattern in spatial distribution of soil pollution is a decrease in the concentrations of PTEs with distance from the source. The influence of NPP can be traced out to approximately 7 km downwind. The total content of PTEs in the soils slightly exceed the Clarke values for the upper continental crust, as well as the world average concentrations of these elements in soils (up to two times). Moderate to high pollution by Cd and Pb, according to the Igeo, is characteristic of the soils at a distance of up to 3 km to the NPP. The PI also demonstrates higher pollution estimates relative to distance from the source; soils in impact zone of NPP are characterized by low or no pollution by Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn, and moderate pollution by Cd and Pb. Soils located in the leeward zone are moderately polluted with Ni and Zn and very strongly to strongly polluted with Cd and Pb. According to the NPI values, pollution decreases from heavy in the area immediately downwind of the source to slight for most of the territory under consideration. The risks of noncarcinogenic effects on children are assessed as low, their occurrence is attributed to the intake of Mn, Ni, and Pb, while for adults there was no significant general toxic risk associated with the intake. The total carcinogenic risk to human health slightly exceeds the permissible standard for soils in close vicinity of the enterprise due to the potential intake of Ni, Cd, and Pb.

The reported study was funded by RFBR, project number 19-05-50097 and Grant of President of Russian Federation, no. МК-6137.2021.1.5.

How to cite: Minkina, T., Konstantinova, E., Mandzhieva, S., Bauer, T., Nevidomskaya, D., Fedorov, Y., Kalinitchenko, V., and Glinushkin, A.: Environmental and human health risks associated with soil potentially toxic element exposure around the largest coal fired power plant in Southern Russia, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-15724, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15724, 2021.

A medico-ecological research method is proposed based on the coupled spatial analysis of zones of excessive pollution of river waters with heavy metals (HM) in the basin of the Nizhnekamskoe Reservoir (catchment area of 186 000 km²) and data on the health status of the local population.

For the spatial analysis of the heavy metal cycle in the river basin (on its surface, in soil, ground and river waters), a physically based ECOMAG-HM model with a daily time step resolution was developed. The model consists of two main blocks: a hydrological submodel of runoff formation and a hydrochemical submodel of migration and transformation of HM in the river basin [1]. The model was calibrated and verified on the basis of long-term hydrometeorological and hydrochemical observations data at 34 hydrochemical monitoring sites. Maps of simulated mean annual HM concentrations in river water were constructed and areas with significant levels of HM contamination (copper, zinc, manganese) were identified, including catchment areas not covered by hydrochemical monitoring.

The population in the study region has notably higher morbidity rate in priority class diseases (of digestive system, urogenital system, blood and hemopoietic organs, as well as disorders related to immunity mechanism) than the average level in Russia. Occurrence of these diseases is mostly determined by the state of the environment and, even more, by the quality of drinking water and consumed biological products (fish). To analyze the influence of the river water contaminated with heavy metals on the health of the population the statistical data on general morbidity in the region had been previously analyzed separately for two age group: adult population and children under 14. The most relevant research object is child morbidity. Children permanently live in the area without being directly exposed to hazardous work conditions and have relatively healthy lifestyle which excludes the influence of additional harmful factors (overeating, smoking, alcohol consumption) that increase the risk of many diseases development.

The coupled spatial analysis of the population morbidity and the river water contamination maps shows that zones with high and excessive population morbidity rates are located mainly within the highlighted areas with increased concentration of HM in the river water. However, it does not seem possible at this point to separate the effects of man-made impact of air, contaminated with toxic emissions, water and locally produced food on the health of the population. Therefore, to obtain more accurate results within the next stage it is planned to conduct spatial statistical analysis of morbidity risk in separate groups of diseases, mostly determined by health effect of heavy metal water contamination.

1. Motovilov Yu.G., Fashchevskaya T.B., 2019. Simulation of spatially-distributed copper pollution in a large river basin using the ECOMAG-HM model. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 64 (6), 739-756. DOI: 10.1080/02626667.2019.1596273

This study was carried out under Governmental Assignment to the Water Problems Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (subject no. 0147-2019-0001)

How to cite: Fashchevskaia, T. and Motovilov, Y.: Risk assessment mapping of diseases caused by excess heavy metals in river water, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-2710, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2710, 2021.

Large rivers and their deltaic parts and adjacent coastal zones are subjected to strong anthropogenic influence and are often considered as hotspots of environmental pollution. The Don River basin is a highly urbanized area with developed agriculture and industry which negatively affect water quality, aquatic ecosystems and soils. The main objectives of the proposed research were to determine the levels of potentially toxic elements (PHEs) in soils of various aquatic landscapes of the study area, as well as to reveal the relationships between the content of exchangeable PTEs and the physical-chemical properties of floodplain soils.

Depending on the soil-landscape and hydrological conditions and taking into account the intensity of anthropogenic influence, the following zones were identified: the lower Don floodplain from the Tsimlyansk Reservoir to the source of the Mertvy Donets River, Don Delta, the coastal zone of the Taganrog Bay, the mouths of small rivers flowing into the bay, and Taganrog city, an industrial port center on the northern coast of the bay.

The floodplain and coastal landscapes of the study area are dominated by Fluvisols. Solonchaks, Arenosols and Haplic Chernozems which are background soils of the region are less common. Soil samples were collected in summer 2020 from the surface soil horizon (0–20 cm deep). The particle size analysis was conducted using the pipette method; the total organic carbon content in the soils was determined using the dichromate oxidation; the pH was measured by potentiometry in the supernatant suspension of soil and water in a ratio of 1:2.5. The total concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis using a Spectroscan MAX-GV spectrometer (Spectron, Russia), and the content of exchangeable forms extracted from the soil by NH4Ac buffer solution with pH 4.8 and soil/solution ratio of 1:10 for 18 h was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

The obtained results showed that soils of the Lower Don and Taganrog Bay coastal zone are rather contrasted in terms of properties and metal contents, which indicates the variability of landscapes, natural and anthropogenic processes in the studied systems. High CV values for Pb, Zn, Cd and Cr indirectly indicate strong anthropogenic influence on these environments. The results of PCA analysis showed that there are two association of metals in terms of geochemical behaviour and sources. The first one included Cr-Zn-Pb-Cd, the elements of anthropogenic origin, the second Mn, Ni, and Cu, which are probably of mixed origin. The obtained results showed that the coastal zone is a diverse and complex system subjected to anthropogenic activities, which is pronounced in the enrichment of aquatic soils with a number of metals and higher proportions of exchangeable forms from different types of sources.

This work was funded by the Russian Science Foundation, grant no. 20-14-00317.

How to cite: Lobzenko, I., Nevidomskaya, D., Konstantinova, E., Minkina, T., Bauer, T., Zamulina, I., Chaplygin, V., Sushkova, S., and Savin, I.: Potentially toxic elements in floodplain soils the Don River basin of Southern Russia, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-15744, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15744, 2021.

Cities are the key centers of technogenesis, which leads to environmental pollution. The state of the soil cover reflects the long-term anthropogenic impact as a result of urbanization processes. In the urban environment, the priority pollutants are potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), since they are not only an environmental hazard, but also a risk factor for the public health. Tyumen city, with a population of 807,300 people, is a large transport and trade center in Western Siberia, Russia, with a developed service sector, construction and manufacturing industries. The aim of the study is to evaluate possible carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks related to PTEs and PAHs in urban topsoils of Tyumen, as representative of urban environment in Western Siberia.

Topsoil samples (0-10 cm) were collected according to the regular grid at 241 sampling points. The total content of V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, and Pb was determined using X-Ray fluorescence spectrometry. Content of twelve priority PAHs was measured using high-performance liquid chromatograph Agilent 1260 Infinity. Human health risk assessment was based on the US EPA model (1989). The noncarcinogenic risk for different age groups of the population, expressed as a hazard quotient (HQ), was evaluated by comparing the average daily dose of pollutant (ADD) with a reference dose (RfD). Carcinogenic risk (CR) reflects the probability of developing cancer in an individual throughout their life, taking into account the lifetime average daily dose of a pollutant (LADD) and carcinogen slope factor (SF). Values of RfD and SF were based on toxicological data (U. S. EPA 1997, 2004, 2020; ATSDR 2020; OEHHA 2020). The combined effects were assessed using the total hazard index (THI) and the total carcinogenic risk (TCR).

Noncarcinogenic risks were more likely caused by intake of V, Co, As, Pb, Ni and Cu. For both children and adults, the risk associated with the oral intake of pollutants was the greatest. For children, significant risks arose from exposure to V, Co, As and Pb (HQ> 1). The THI values for children varied from 0.78 to 7.25, on average 2.72, for adults - from 0.08 to 0.79, on average 0.27. Most of the territory was characterized by a medium non-carcinogenic risk for children and a low risk for adults.

Significant CR was associated with long-term exposure to Co, As, Pb and benzo[a]pyrene. The TCR values under the combined effect of PTEs and PAHs ranged from 1.2 × 10^-5 to 2.2 × 10^-4, on average 6.9 × 10^-5. In general, the level of carcinogenic risk in the city was assessed as low. Medium carcinogenic risk was established in the soils of impact zones of enterprises for the production and disposal of batteries, CHPP-1 and some large transport hubs. An extensive zone of increased carcinogenic risk was established in the residential area of the central part of the city.

The research was funded by RFBR and Tyumen Region, project no. 20-45-720003, and by Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, no. 0852-2020-0029.

How to cite: Konstantinova, E., Minkina, T., and Konstantinov, A.: Human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban topsoils of Tyumen city, Russia, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-9203, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9203, 2021.

Amelioration and remediation technology was developed comprises dispersed application and mixing of the phosphogypsum into the soil layer 20–45 cm with the intra-soil milling. The phosphogypsum doses 0, 10, 20, and 40 t ha⁻¹ were studied in the model experiment focusing on the intra-soil passivation of Cd contained in phosphogypsum, environmental remediation, and amelioration of the Haplic Chernozem of South-European facies (Russia). The soil total and water-soluble Cd form content depend on geographical location, the ionic composition of soil solution, and soil genesis. The mean total Cd content in soils of South Russia is about 1 mg kg⁻¹ SDW. The mobility of Cd in the soil solution, as well as its penetration into the plants, depends on the content of carbonates, pH, ionic composition of the soil solution. The mathematical chemical-thermodynamic model and program ION–3 developed for the quantitative characterization of Cd thermodynamic forms in soil solution. The forms of ion in soil solution were calculated accounting the soil solution calcium-carbonate equilibrium, ionic strength,  and association of ion pairs СаСО₃⁰; CaSO₄⁰, MgCO₃⁰, MgSO₄⁰, CaHCO₃⁺, MgHCO₃⁺, NaCO₃⁻, NaSO₄⁻, CaOH⁺, MgOH⁺. The coefficient of microelement association k_as was proposed for the calculation of the equilibrium concentration of microelement ion or heavy metal (HM) in soil solution. According to calculations, a Cd²⁺ ion mostly bounded to associates CdOH⁺, partly to associates CdCO₃⁰ and CdHCO₃⁺. The Cd k_as was 1.24 units in the control option and decreased to 0.95 units at a phosphogypsum dose 40 t ha⁻¹. The calculated ratio of “active [Cd²⁺] to total Cd” reduced from 33.5% in control option to 28.0% in the option of a phosphogypsum dose 40 t ha⁻¹.  According to calculation, the biogeochemical barrier for penetration of HMs from soil to plant roots was high after application of phosphogypsum. The standard soil environmental limitations for the content of Cd in soil overestimate the real toxicity of Cd. Re-evaluation of the current TENORM and other environmental limitations become possible. The new decision for intra-soil milling and simultaneous application of phosphogypsum was developed the chemical soil engineering technology to decide simultaneously the tasks of soil contamination decrease, soil amelioration and soil remediation. The technology based on the transcendental Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) methodology provides environmentally safe phosphogypsum application to soil. The BGT* management of ecosphere provides health and productivity. Indirect transcendental nature-similarity of technology provides the new niche of developing capabilities addressing environmental safety concerns of ecosphere management. The technology ensures geophysical, chemical, physicochemical structural and architectural prerequisites for the stable soil evolution, environmentally safe waste recycling, the healthy soil microbiome and phytopathogen suppression, high-quality soil biological production, and human health.

The research was financially supported by the RFBR, project no. 18-29-25071, and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, project no. 0852-2020-0029.

How to cite: Kalinitchenko, V., Glinushkin, A., Minkina, T., Mandzhieva, S., Sushkova, S., Il’ina, L., Makarenkov, D., Kovaleva, T., and Lobzenko, I.: Intra-soil phosphogypsum recycling for environmental safety, higher soil sustainability and productivity, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-10612, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-10612, 2021.

The attention devoted to air quality is particularly important in workplaces, such as museums, where the health of visitors and workers must couple with the safeguard of collections. This especially holds for herbaria where, until the middle of the last century, the collections were protected using a solution of mercury dichloride (HgCl₂) to prevent cryptogamic or animal infestations. The decomposition of HgCl₂ causes the Hg reduction through a reaction pathway that is still poorly known, and the consequent release of Hg⁰ in the indoor atmosphere. Besides Hg⁰, Hg in air exists also as bound to particulate (PBM). In the museums’ atmosphere, this fraction may represent a non-negligible proportion of total atmospheric Hg and should be monitored.

This study aims to characterize the PBM in the Central Italian Herbarium of Firenze (University of Firenze, Italy), one of the largest herbaria worldwide. Here recent studies proved high levels of Hg⁰.

PBM sampling has been carried twice (2018 and 2020 soon after the lockdown period caused by the Covid-19), collecting the dust on a SEM-EDS stub from different surfaces (furniture, wall cornice, sample cabinet). Samples were roughly divided according to their deposition time between old (OD), almost-new (AD) and new dust (ND). The samples were analyzed using SEM-EDS to characterize the dimension and the chemical speciation of Hg particulate.

Hg-particles were detected in all the three types of dust collected in both the years: the mean dimension is 0.80±0.01 µm (3σ). The highest number of Hg-particles has been always reached in the AD, i.e. the dust collected directly on the packages containing herbarium specimens, with a strong increase in the 2020 sample. Additionally, the EDS microanalysis revealed that Hg-particles are now mainly associated with S (sometimes with O), suggesting the presence of sulphate or sulphide.

The above evidences show that PBM constitutes a fraction of Hg pollution in the Herbarium that cannot be ignored. The number of particles strongly increased in a period of low attendance of the Herbarium rooms and consequently cleaning, due to the COVID-19 pandemic: despite this, almost all are still classifiable as fine particulate (i.e. ECD< 2.5 µm) particularly harmful for human health. The presence of sulphate/sulphide indicated the change of Hg speciation with time and its reaction with S and O. These compounds, although less bioavailable than Hg⁰, still represent a risk for both herbarium workers and visitors.

The results of the present study offer preliminary information on the abatement system to be installed in the museum halls, which should be supplied with filters to retain very fine particles (< 1 µm).

How to cite: Ciani, F., Chiarantini, L., Costagliola, P., and Rimondi, V.: Particulate bound mercury pollution in the Central Italian Herbarium (Firenze, Italy), EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-11892, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11892, 2021.