Assessment of metal pollution of roadside landscapes in the north of Western Siberia using statistical modeling

The article presents an assessment of roadside soil and plant pollution by motor vehicles in the Arctic zone of Western Siberia. The studies were conducted on the Surgut-Salekhard motorway near Novy Urengoy and on one of the winter roads south of Tazovsky. A detailed geochemical characteristic of the parent rocks and soils of the study areas was provided. Chemical pollution was usually mild, since northern roads were often characterized by low and medium traffic intensity. Statistical modeling based on the consistent application of factor and discriminant analysis methods of multivariate statistics was used to detect and identify pollutants and the pollution level. It was established that the Cd–Pb–Zn–Cu–Ni association in soils indicates the motor vehicles pollution. An additional source of impact in the urban area was residential construction through the Ca–Mn–Co–Sr–Zn association. Similar parageneses were identified in the study of the solid phase of snow collected at the soil sampling sites, indicating the decisive role of aerotechnogenic transfer of metals in the pollution of natural-territorial complexes and the urban environment. Low activity of lateral and radial migration of metals was shown even in an acidic environment, which was explained by the widespread peat horizon that functions as a complex geochemical barrier – alkaline, biogeochemical and sorption. A change in the chemical composition of indicator plant species was established, caused mainly by aerotechnogenic transfer of metals, the source of which are motor transport and road surface. Soil pollution was localized within the former winter road and in roadside landscapes. However, there were traces of soil cover disturbance, soil thawing and an increase in the STS thickness were established. In general, chemical pollution caused by the impact of motor transport was weakly expressed, and the content of the studied metals did not exceed the standards established for soils (MPCs, TPCs). Calculation of the toxicity probability index (MERMQ) for contaminated soils showed low to moderate risk levels.

soils, parent rocks, discriminant analysis, geochemical associativity, indicator plant species