Issues:
Sections:
Issue 98
GENERAL BIOLOGY
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ANALYTICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY OF ARABLE LAND IN THE CENTRAL CHERNOZEM REGION
DYAKOVA Nina A.
This study aimed to comprehensively assess the quality of agricultural land in the Central Black Earth Region based on the content of significant ecotoxicants and a composite pollution index. Using the Voronezh region as a case study, 13 sampling sites were selected across its most developed agro-industrial districts, with three protected areas designated as controls. Heavy metals and arsenic were quantified using atomic absorption spectroscopy, organochlorine pesticides via gas chromatography, and natural/technogenic radionuclides by radiometric spectroscopy. All soil samples from the agricultural sites complied with regulatory standards for toxic elements and demonstrated relative environmental safety concerning organochlorine pesticides and radionuclides. However, analysis of the composite pollution index, calculated for anthropogenically disturbed areas relative to the controls, revealed that only six samples had an acceptable pollution level (from the Vorobevsky, Gribanovsky, Novokhopersky, Olkhovatsky, Repyevsky, and Khokholsky districts). A moderately hazardous pollution level was detected in agroecosystems of the Verkhnekhavsky, Liskinsky, Paninsky, Petropavlovsky, Podgorensky, Rossoshansky, and Ertilsky districts. These findings underscore the necessity for continuous monitoring of soil quality in the Voronezh region's agricultural lands and indicate a need for rehabilitation, for instance, through phytoremediation techniques.
Pages: 49 - 56
Date: 30.11.2025