Ecological state of soils and waters in the mining areas of South Gobi province of Mongolia

In 2024, landscape geochemical studies were conducted in the southern regions of Mongolia in the area of coal (Tavan Tolgoi enterprise) and copper (Ouyu Tolgoi enterprise) mining. Samples of groundwater and soils were collected, chemical and analytical work was carried out. The purpose of the work is to assess the ecological state of soils and groundwater in the mining soums of Khanbogd and Tsogttsetsii of the South Gobi aimag of Mongolia. As a result of the studies, it was found that the groundwater in the copper mining area is mainly fresh, while in the coal mining area it is slightly saline. Soils are mainly sierozem-like, belong to carbonate, and sometimes to saline. Foci of groundwater and soil pollution were identified on the territory of farms located near mining enterprises. High concentrations of sodium, fluorine, magnesium, chlorine, sulfates and a number of toxic heavy metals have been found in the waters of wells and boreholes of local residents. Increased levels of nickel, copper, zinc and arsenic have been found in the soils of the same areas, exceeding sanitary and hygienic standards, sometimes by more than 20 times.

1. Alekin O.A., Semenov A.D., Skopinceva B.A., Rukovodstvo po himicheskomu analizu vod sushi (Handbook of chemical analysis of land waters.), Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1973, 269 p.

2. Arinushkina E.V., Rukovodstvo po himicheskomu analizu pochv (Handbook of chemical analysis of soils), Moscow: MGU, 1970, 487 p.

3. Vorob'eva I.B., Vlasova N.V., Fiziko-himicheskie svojstva i termicheskij rezhim pochvogruntov otvalov ugol'nogo razreza (Hysicochemical properties and thermal regime of soils in open-pit coal mine dumps), Geografiya i prirodnye rsursy, 2020, No. S5, pp. 60–66, DOI: https://doi.org/10.21782/GIPR0206-1619-2020-5(60–66).

4. Vyrkin V.B., Plyusnin V.M., Belozerceva I.A., Shekhovcov A.I., Enushchenko I.V., Zaharov V.V., Sovremennoe sostoyanie prirody i ekologicheskie problemy Srednego Prionon'ya (Current state of nature and environmental problems of the Srednee Prionon'ye), Geografiya i prirodnye resursy, 2014, No. 1, pp. 25–35.

5. Glotova N.V., Monitoring sredy obitaniya (Habitat monitoring), Chelyabinsk: Izd-vo YuUrGU, 2006, 22 p.

6. GOST R 51232-98. State standard of the Russian Federation. Drinking water. General requirements for the organization and methods of quality control, URL: https://www.ural-gidro.com/upload/files/normdocs/GOST-R-51232-98-(2002).pdf.

7. Il'kovskaya Z.G., Konovalov A.S., Ponomarev V.V., Agrohimicheskie metody issledovaniya pochv (Agrochemical methods for soil investigation), Moscow: Nauka, 1975, 656 p.

8. ISO 11885 (GOST R 57165-2016). Determination of element content by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. National standard of the Russian Federation, 2018, URL: https://www.docs.cntd.ru/document/1200140392.

9. Kopylova L.V., Vojtyuk E.A., Leskova O.A., Yakimova E.P., Soderzhanie tyazhyolyh metallov v pochvah i rasteniyah urbanizirovannyh territorij (Vostochnoe Zabajkal'e) (Heavy metal content in soils and plants of urbanized areas (Eastern Transbaikalie)), Chita: Zabajkal. gos. un-t, 2013, 154 p.

10. Mishanina N.G., Shishov L.L., Gipsonosnye pochvy: rasprostranenie, genezis, klassifikaciya (Gypsum application: distribution, genesis, classification), Pochvovedenie, 2002, No. 3, pp. 273–281.

11. Pankova E.I., Vorob'eva L.A., Diagnostika i kriterii ocenki zasoleniya pochv (Diagnostics and criteria for assessing soil salinization), In: L.L. Shishov (Ed.) Zasolennye pochvy Rossii (Saline soils of Russia), Moscow: Akademkniga, 2006, 854 p.

12. Pankova Ye.I., Konyushkova M.V., The effect of global warming on soil salinity in arid regions, Dokuchaev Soil Bulletin, 2013, Vol. 71, pp. 3–15, DOI: https://doi.org/10.19047/0136-1694-2013-71-3-15.

13. Pankova E.I., Chernousenko G.I., The problem of salinization activation in soils of the south of Eastern Siberia and Mongolia in connection with climate aridization, Dokuchaev Soil Bulletin, 2020, Vol. 101, pp. 19–45, DOI: https://doi.org/10.19047/0136-1694-2020-101-19-46.

14. Polevoj opredelitel' pochv (Field soil guide), Moscow: Pochvennyj in-t im. V.V. Dokuchaeva, 2008, 182 p.

15. Saet Yu.E., Revich B.A., Yanin E.P., Smirnova R.S., Basharkevich I.L., Onishchenko T.L., Pavlova L.N., Trefilova N.Ya., Achkasov A.I., Sarkisyan S.Sh., Geohimiya okruzhayushchej sredy (Geochemistry of the Environment), Moscow: Nedra, 1990, 335 p.

16. SanPiN 1.2.3685–21. ygienic Standards and Requirements for Ensuring the Safety and (or) Harmlessness of Environmental Factors for Humans, URL: https://www.ds278-krasnoyarskr04.gosweb.gosuslugi.ru/netcat_files/19/8/SP123685_21_0.pdf.

17. SP 47.13330.2012. Engineering Surveys for Construction. Basic Provisions. Code of Practice, URL: https://www.rnd.armplastgeo.ru/bitrix/document/road%20design/sp-47-13330-2012.pdf.

18. Vorob'ev L.A. (Ed.), Teoriya i praktika himicheskogo analiza pochv (Theory and practice of chemical analysis of soils), Moscow: GEOS, 2006, 399 p.

19. Shekhovcov A.I., Belozerceva I.A., Ekologicheskie problemy dobychi redkozemel'nyh elementov v Yugo-Vostochnom Zabajkal'e (Environmental problems of rare earth element mining in Southeastern Transbaikalia), Uspekhi sovremennogo estestvoznaniya, 2016, No. 12, pp. 222–227.

20. Shpejzer G.M., Mineeva L.A., Rukovodstvo po himicheskomu analizu vod (Handbook of chemical analysis of waters), Irkutsk: IGU, 2006, 55 p.

21. Environmental monitoring with the participation of the population of Khotolbor. Non-governmental organization (NGO) “Monk Green Galba”, Hamtyn Oroltsootoy Baigal Orchny Khyanalt shinzhilgee Khotolbor. Monk Nogoon Galba, TBB, 2023, 23 p.

22. Ecosystems of Mongolia. Atlas, M.-Ulaanbaatar: Admon Press, 2019, 262 p.

23. ISO 14869. Soil quality – Dissolution for the determination of total element content, 2017, URL: https://www.nd.gostinfo.ru/document/6267384.aspx.

24. Kasimov N., Kosheleva N., Gunin P. et al., State of the environment of urban and mining areas in the Selenga Transboundary River Basin (Mongolia Russia), Environ Earth Sci., 2016, Vol. 75, 1283, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6088-1.

25. National Report. NSO, URL: https://www.en.nso.mn/.

26. Nyamtseren M., Feng Q., Deo R.A., Comparative Study of Temperature and Precipitation-Based Aridity Indices and Their Trends in Mongolia, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2018, No. 12, pp. 887–899.