No 3 (2019)

The dynamics of solid municipal waste accumulation in Russia is considered taking into account the low rate of their reprocessing and utilization, which worsens the living conditions and aggravates the social tension in the country. The necessity to create an almost new industry is noted based on the collection, sorting, temporal storage, reprocessing and disposal of the non-utilizable part of waste. The tasks arising may be divided in two groups, i.e., technological and engineering geological groups. The most important tasks of the former group include sorting waste, separation of waste portion suitable for re-use as secondary raw material and recycling of the bulk of waste with the subsequent disposal of non-utilizable part. Among engineering geological tasks, the focus is concentrated on zoning territories for the optimal allocation of sites for temporary storage, reprocessing and disposal of solid municipal waste so that the newly formed bodies not to become a new source of technogenic contamination of the environment.

The natural, geological, cryological and hydrogeological conditions and causes of the formation of a catastrophic landslide and tsunami are considered that occurred in the reservoir of Bureyskaya HPP on December 11, 2018. The negative impact of this and other hazardous natural processes on the potential vulnerability of the territory during the water reservoir operation is predicted.

According to the thermodynamic ladder, microorganisms in groundwater use electron acceptors consistently – for transformation of pollution from the pollution plume edge to its core. However, some researchers come to the conclusion that only methanogenic biotransformation of pollution or reduction of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) from the solid phase can occur in the plume, and due to the kinetic factor microorganisms use electron acceptors from the aqueous phase (O₂, NO₃^- и SO₄^2-) only on the edge of the pollution plume. The purpose of the research was to determine whether microorganisms use Fe(III) and Mn(IV) as acceptors of electrons for hydrocarbons transformation in groundwater in the northern part of the Middle Heilongjiang-Amur River basin aquifer. In the study area, both lenses of petroleum-hydrocarbons (non-aqueous phase liquids) on the surface of groundwater (up to 2.5 m) and high concentrations of dissolved hydrocarbons (up to 1000 mg/l) are noted. Microbiological processes were assessed in situ by the method of geochemical indicators. The most active biogeochemical processes occurred during the spring-summer rise of groundwater level. The seasonal increasing of level led to the entry of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) into the pollution plume and activation of the microbiological processes of its reduction. Microorganisms mostly use electron acceptors from the solid phase – Fe(III) and Mn(IV), but not NO₃, SO₄² from the aqueous phase. This is confirmed by the close correlation of HCO₃^- formation and that of Fe(II) and Mn(II) in groundwater (r² up to 0.93). This says that for the groundwater self-purification the kinetic factor rather than thermodynamic one is decisive; and microorganisms use electron acceptors that are currently available. As a result of microbiological pollution destruction, the content of Fe(II) in groundwater increased up to 100 mg/l, Mn (II) – up to 16 mg/l, which exceeds the natural background 4 and 8 times, respectively. This was also because the regional geochemical background of the study area (Amur River basin) forms Fe and Mn.

The paper presents the results of studies of the water chemical composition in small rivers of Khabarovsk and its surroundings in the winter low water period in 2017-2018. A significant variation is shown in the concentrations of dissolved substances in river water due to large differences in the composition of underlying rocks, groundwater and wastewater, as well as water of worn-out water supply and sanitation systems. The hydrocarbonate-calcium composition of water, the lowest pH and mineralization values, the phosphate concentrations, as well as the dominance of sulfate ion over chloride and nitrate nitrogen’s dominance over ammonium in the river water in the protected areas were identified. The higher content of dissolved substances and the bicarbonate-calcium (sometimes magnesium) composition of water are typical for the rivers in the outskirts of the city, fed mainly by groundwater in alluvial deposits. Hydrocarbonate-sodium (rarely ammonium) composition of water, maximum concentrations of major ions, contamination with phosphates, ammonium nitrogen, petroleum products and surfactants, absence of nitrite and nitrate nitrogen in anaerobic conditions were noted in the river water at the outskirts of the city, which are fed by wastewater. The hydrocarbonate-calcium composition of water, a decrease in the elevated concentrations of major ions during the winter season, pollution with ammonium and nitrite nitrogen, phosphates and oil products of water in the rivers of the central part of the city fed by groundwater and water of worn-out water supply and water disposal systems were established.

The paper deals with the history of agrarian development of the East European plain in the frame of the geoenvironment concept of agricultural landscapes, taking Kargopol’ region as an example. A large agricultural landscape unique for the middle taiga zone was formed there no later than in the twelve century. We have analyzed the natural environment of the Kargopol’ region and its influence on the agrarian development and the rural settlement pattern. We paid particular attention to the karst, which was widespread in the area and its relation with agricultural landscapes. We made mathematical modelling of both elementary agricultural landscape spatial pattern and the corresponding rural settlement pattern. A feature of the proposed modeling is its emphasis on the relationship between the natural landscape and agricultural landscape. The mathematical morphology of landscape (method proposed by A. Victorov) and, in particular, the karst system model is the base of modeling. This model is first used for the analysis of cultural (anthropogenic) rather than natural landscapes.

We propose a method of hydrogeoecological prospecting for anthropogenic contamination with emulsified petroleum products of groundwater in the intrusive massifs of the Eastern Urals hydrogeological folded region. The method is the basis for designing the groundwater treatment with hydrogeodynamic traps. In the process of mapping, we find the indications for prospecting. We propose engineering solutions for safe arrangement of petroleum product traps adapted to heterogeneity geofiltration and capacitive properties of the intrusive massifs. We give recommendations concerning development of the technological schedules of oil mining and utilization of the disposed groundwater. We illustrate the granitoid massifs groundwater treatment in terms of purification from pollution with suspended mixtures of benzene, kerosene and diesel by examples of providing industrial and environmental security for oil storage facilities in the Middle Urals.