Results
Researches
Object & Metod
WorkBirch leaves research results
Middle analysis results and their trusting intervals that have been calculated if probability is P = 0,95 are shown in the first table.
First table. Birch leaves analysis results:
Number of sample
Place of selection
Content of Zn, mg/kg
Content of Mn, mg/kg
Dirty
Clean
Dirty
Clean
1
Arshan
91 ± 3
82 ± 3
1010 ± 60
840 ± 50
2
Shelekhov, a distance of 3 km from Irkutsk Aluminium plant
80 - 3
74 - 3
304 ±18
287 ± 17
3
Shelekhov, a distance of 6 km from Irkutsk Aluminium plant
94 ± 3
90 ± 3
100±6
68 ± 4
4
Shelekhov, around Irkutsk Aluminium plant
211 ± 5
182 ± 7
224±13
218 ± 13
5
Laboratory sample
87 ± 3
1000± 60
It is clear from the table that the second and third samples content of Zn in the birch leaves (at a distance of 3 and 6 km from the industrial zone) is similar to the background sample content (in Arshan). The second sample contains Zn too less than the first sample. It is clear from these data that technogenesis processes don’t influence on the content of Zn in the birch leaves in this region.
But the sample of the birch leaves that was gotten in the immediate nearness from Irkutsk Aluminium Plant contains Zn twice as much as the background sample. So the increase of the content of Zn is the technogenesis processes action. The results of the clean and dirty leaves essentially differ from the results of each other. It showsthat the pollution of Zn comes from the soil and through plant’s stomas with the dust. It needs to say that a standard laboratory sample of birch leaves that was created at Irkutsk geochemical institute contains Zn as much as the background sample.
The accumulation of Zn in the birch leaves happens because some intracellular processes go on.
May-be the increase of use of Zn is the result of pH level changes in the soil or if some elements or compounds are more or less than it is necessary.
Determining the content of Mn in the birch leaves we have noticed that it is a sudden decrease of content of Mn in all samples that have been gotten at the suburbs of Shelekhov in comparison with background (or Arshan) samples.
The content of Mn in Arshan sample conforms to the laboratory sample. So we can say about the defect of Mn in the Shelekhov's samples. Even more ratio of content of this element in clean leaves to content of it in dirty leaves allows us to say that Mn comes to the plant through the soil by rootage. Only the second sample is because its analysis results of clean and dirty leaves differ from each other. The similar exclusion is existed the Arshan birch.
The samples of clean and dirty leaves that had been selected in different areas of Shelekhov and Arshan were analyzed. It was found out that the content of Zn in two Shelekhov's samples doesn’t differ from the background (Arshan) a lot. But the exclusion from it is the fourth sample (Shelekhov, Irkutsk Aluminium Plant) that has the content of Zn twice as much as in the background sample.
The content of Mn in Shelekhov's samples of birch leaves is from 3 to 10 times as less as in the background sample. Probably the technogenic process influence is the cause of it.
There are some hypotheses about the reasons of under review fact. The content of Zn and Mn in clean and dirty leaves doesn’t differ from each other a lot. So it points at the fact that these elements mainly come to the plant through the soil by rootage.Mosses research results
A group of mosses samples were analyzed by developed Roentgen-spectral fluorescent method (RSFA) system of determination of the chemical composition.
Analysis results are listed in the second table.
Second table. The results of analysis samples of mosses:
Number of sample
Place of selection
Kind of moss
Content
Zn
Mn
1
Arshan, 1 area
Rhytidum rugosum
0,0029±0,0003
0,049±0,006
2
Arshan, 2 area
0,0027±0,0003
0,047±0,005
3
Arshan, 1 area
Hylacomium splendens
0,0032±0,0004
0,048±0,006
4
Shelekhov, 2 area
0,0041±0,0005
0,017±0,002
5
Arshan, 1 area
Dicranum undulatum
0,0023±0,0003
0,022±0,002
6
Shelekhov, 1 area
Pulaisia polyantha
0,036±0,006
0,27±0,04
7
Shelekhov, 2 area
0,0068±0,003
0,015±0,002
8
Shelekhov, 2 area
Rhytidiadelphus triguetrus
0,0098±0,0016
0,056±0,009
The second table information shows that the content of Zn and Mn in the mosses that were selected in the first area in Shelekhov (sixth sample) in other words in the industrial zone is 5 and 18 times as much accordingly than the content of those elements in mosses that were selected in the second area in Shelekhov (seventh sample). But those mosses belong to the same kind. In comparison with the samples of mosses of different kinds which were selected in other areas the content of Zn and Mn in the sixth sample is from 4 to 15 times as much. Furthermore preliminary researches had showed that mosses were selected in the first area in Shelekhov contain Ni, Fe and Pb from 1.5 to 2 times as much as the other mosses. It shows the strong industrial zone pollution of heavy metals. Probably the source of that pollution is Cable Plant.
It needs to increase a number of analyzable samples and to extend the group of determinate elements in particular to develop the systems of Roentgen-spectral determination of Pb, Fe and Ni for the final conclusion. At the same time it needs to find out the ways of heavy metals penetration into mosses that will be achieved by the analyses of clean and dirty samples.Pine-tree needles research results
Research results are listed in the following third table:
Number
Place of selection
1 (healthy) %
2 (with spots) %
3 (dried) %
1
Shelekhov, 2000
61,2
33,5
5,3
2
Arshan, 2000
86
12
2
3
Shelekhov, 2001
66
31
3
4
Arshan, 2001
90
9,5
0,5
5
Shelekhov, 2002
58,9
39,8
1,3
6
Arshan, 2002
92,1
7,6
0,3
Many researches established that appearance of more than 20 percent of the damaged needles is evidence of serious forest ecosystem violations. So our researches confirm that percent of defective needles in Arshan is contained in borders of the natural physiological process and climatic influence on needles (from 6 to 9 %). But the percent of the defective needles in the districts of Shelekhov is 30 – 50 % that shows a high rate of forest ecosystem violation.
Unlike 2000 and 2001 seasons in 2002 summer the system of the composition of the variation monitoring areas rows was used that concluded in monitoring areas established according to approach to or moving off from the pollution source. In that way 5 areas were placed in the southern direction from the industrial zone. The first area was at a distance of 15 km from the industrial zone, the second area was at a distance of 10 km from the industrial zone, the third area was at a distance of 7 km, the fourth area was at a distance of 6 km, the fifth area was at a distance of 4.5 km from the industrial zone.
Information about these areas forms the following table:
1 area
2 area
3 area
4 area
5 area
1
healthy
69,6
84,8
49,3
53
58
2
with spots
29,8
34
46,4
57
42
3
dried
0,6
1,2
4,3
It is clear from the table that a number of needles with spots increases from 29% to 42% according to the approach to the industrial zone.
The needles are especially sensible for the high concentration of the compound of sulfur, fluorine and heavy metals.
So we can come to the conclusions:
1. A high concentration of toxic elements of industrial aero-discharges is amassed in the needle. That fact affects the surface changes.
2. A number of defective needles is directly proportional to the concentration of sulfur, sulphur dioxide and heavy metals in the air.
3. Visual assessment of the atmosphere pollution is possible by the ratio of healthy and defective needles to the general number of the needles in the branch.