Pollution of Moscow soils with potentially toxic elements: analysis of long-term monitoring data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Kosheleva ◽  
Angela Tsykhman
Keyword(s):  
Soil Pollution ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
Monitoring Data ◽  
Scale Transformation ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
The City

<p>In megacities, the environment experiences a high anthropogenic press caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial enterprises. Soils are an important component of urban landscapes: they not only accumulate pollutants, but also can be a source of secondary pollution of atmosphere and groundwater. The aim of this work is to analyze the long-term dynamics of soil contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in Moscow, as Moscow is one of the most polluted cities of Russia.</p><p>The basis for assessing the pollution of soils with As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Hg, Cu, Ni, Mn was the annual monitoring data for 2007-2016, which is obtained by the «Mosecomonitoring» institution and include more than 2000 points of observation. The accumulation of PTEs was characterized by a technogenic concentration factor Kc=Curb/Cb relative to the background Cb, which differed by three physiographic provinces. The total geochemical load on soils was estimated as Zc=∑Kc–(n–1), where n is the number of elements with Kc>1.</p><p>An analysis of the changes in the pollutant content in the soils of Moscow over the decade showed a twofold increase in the accumulation of Cu, Cd, As in the Central District and Cd in the Western and Northwest ones, as well as As in the northeastern part of the city by 1.4–2.3 times. In all districts, a tendency toward a decrease in pollution with Zn, Pb, and Hg was revealed. Compared with 2007, in 2016, the average content of all PTEs in the soils of the city decreased or remained unchanged, except for As.</p><p>The spatial distribution of PTEs in Moscow soils is controlled by the intensity and geochemical specialization of pollution sources, and varies due to soil properties. Central, Eastern, South-Eastern Districts are leading in terms of Cu and Pb pollution. Central and South-Eastern Districts are distinguished by Hg pollution. Central, North-Eastern, South-Eastern, and Southern Districts are most polluted with Zn and Cd. Soils in the southern part of Moscow are most enriched in Ni. High concentrations of As are characterized by soils of light grain-size composition with a high content of organic matter.</p><p>The highest values of the total soil pollution index Zc are characteristic for the Central and South-Eastern Districts, the lowest ones – for the Western and North-Western Districts. Analysis of Zc maps for 2007-2016 showed a decrease in soil pollution. In 2007, uncontaminated soils occupied 35.3% of the city’s area; slightly medium, and heavily polluted – 33%, 22.8% and 9.4% respectively. In 2016, this sequence was as follows: 65%, 22.7%, 11%, and 1.3%. This trend is associated with a decrease in industrial production in Moscow, the removal of harmful industries outside the city and the renovation of enterprises remaining in the capital, as well as with a reduction in emissions from vehicles. Changes in the location of man-made geochemical anomalies in soils reflect leveling in the pollution from vehicles due to the construction of new housing and the large-scale transformation of Moscow regions with a decrease in traffic in the center (Bityukova, Mozgunov, 2019).</p>

scholarly journals Extreme Climate Events, Household Decision-Making and Transitions in the Immediate Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 139-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Solecki ◽  
Robin Leichenko ◽  
David Eisenhauer
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Scale Transformation ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Surge Flooding ◽  
Term Response

AbstractIt is five years since Hurricane Sandy heavily damaged the New York- New Jersey Metropolitan region, and the fuller character of the long-term response can be better understood. The long-term response to Hurricane Sandy and the flooding risks it illustrated are set in myriad of individual and collective decisions taken during the time following the event. While the physical vulnerability of this region to storm surge flooding and climate change risks including sea level rise has been well-documented within the scholarly literature, Sandy’s impact placed decision-makingpost extreme events into the forefront of public and private discussions about the appropriate response. Some of the most fundamental choices were made by individual homeowners who houses were damaged and in some cases made uninhabitable following the storm. These individuals were forced to make decisions regarding where they would live and whether Sandy’s impact would result in their moving. In the disaster recovery and rebuilding context, these early household struggles about whether to leave or stay are often lost in the wider and longer narrative of recovery. To examine this early phase, this paper presents results of a research study that documented the ephemeral evidence of the initial phase of recovery in coastal communities that were heavily impacted by Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge and flooding. Hurricane Sandy and the immediate response to the storm created conditions for a potential large-scale transformation with respect to settlement of the coastal zone. In the paper, we examine and analyze survey and interview results of sixty-one residents and two dozen local stakeholders and practitioners to understand the stresses and transitions experienced by flooded households and the implications for the longer term resiliency of the communities in which they are located.

Natural Resources and Problems of Development

1974 ◽  
Vol 9 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 179-184
Author(s):  
Per Antonsen
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Third World ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
World Market ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
The Third World

The author focuses on problems in the economy of the developing countries likely to arise as a consequence of mineral exploitation in the new territories. A general shortage of mineral resources, although predicted, should not uncritically be adopted as a sufficient explanation of the demonstrated interest of industrial enterprises in undertaking heavy investments in the new territories. The economic security claimed by institutions financing large-scale investments, may just as likely force the companies to seek options for long-term supplies from these areas, unhampered by the politically caused instabilities perceived in the Third World. This development may tend to push the developing countries into the role of subsidiary suppliers in the world market. The committees preparing the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea have so far taken no realistic measures to counteract this possibility, which may prove detrimental to the economies of several developing countries. The Conference will, in the opinion of the author, provide little but a settlement of disputed interests among the coastal states.

Long-term and high-bioavailable potentially toxic elements (PTEs) strongly influence the microbiota in electroplating sites

2021 ◽  
pp. 151933
Author(s):  
Yating Luo ◽  
Jingli Pang ◽  
Chunhui Li ◽  
Jiacong Sun ◽  
Qiao Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements

scholarly journals Impact of Long-Term Reclaimed Water Irrigation on the Distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil: An In-Situ Experiment Study in the North China Plain

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Gu ◽  
Yong Xiao ◽  
Shiyang Yin ◽  
Honglu Liu ◽  
Baohui Men ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Potentially Toxic Elements ◽  
In Situ Experiment ◽  
The North ◽  
Reclaimed Water Irrigation

The widespread use of reclaimed water has alleviated the water resource crisis worldwide, but long-term use of reclaimed water for irrigation, especially in agricultural countries, might threaten the soil environment and further affect groundwater quality. An in-situ experiment had been carried out in the North China Plain, which aimed to reveal the impact of long-term reclaimed water irrigation on soil properties and distribution of potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Zn and Pb) in the soil profile as well as shallow groundwater. Four land plots were irrigated with different quantity of reclaimed water to represent 0, 13, 22 and 35 years’ irrigation duration. Pollution Load Index (PLI) values of each soil layer were calculated to further assess the pollution status of irrigated soils by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Results showed that long-term reclaimed water irrigation caused appreciable increase of organic matter content, and might improve the soil quality. High soil organic matter concentrations conduced to high adsorption and retention capacity of the soils toward PTEs, which could reduce the risk of PTEs leaching into deep layers or shallow groundwater. Highest levels of Cr, Pb and Zn were observed at 200–240 cm and 460–500 cm horizons in plots. Longer irrigation time (35 years and 22 years) resulted in a decreasing trend of As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Zn in lower part of soil profiles (>540 cm) compared with that with 13-years’ irrigation years. Long-term reclaimed water irrigation still brought about increases in concentrations of some elements in deep soil layer although their content in soils and shallow groundwater was below the national standard. Totally speaking, proper management for reclaimed water irrigation, such as reduction of irrigation volume and rate of reclaimed water, was still needed when a very long irrigation period was performed.

Urban Rail Development in China

2012 ◽  
Vol 2275 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Salzberg ◽  
Shomik Mehndiratta ◽  
Zhi Liu
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Transit Oriented Development ◽  
Rail Systems ◽  
Urban Rail ◽  
Analytical Work ◽  
Metro Systems ◽  
The City

This paper provides an overview of the recent development of urban rail systems in Chinese cites and the challenges ahead. China is set to become the world leader in length of metro lines in operation in the near to medium term. In view of the large scale of this investment, a focus on the overall economic and financial viability of these systems is needed. On the basis of analytical work supporting a project investment in the city of Kunming and a study tour of urban rail systems in China, this paper highlights four areas believed to be crucial in meeting these objectives: integration of new metro systems with existing systems of public transport, a supportive overall urban transport policy, transit-oriented development, and long-term financial sustainability. The conclusion is that in all of these areas, China possesses tools that may enable the program to succeed if they are used effectively and in concert. Any issues appear to result from a lack of attention to these four areas and from a managerial focus on ensuring the completion of the construction program above all other concerns. The RMB 1 trillion investment in urban rail construction under way in China needs to be a catalyst for joint action on the issues identified in this paper (RMB 1 is approximately US$0.15). Otherwise, Chinese cities may be left with an investment that carries large long-term costs and does not deliver the crucial economic benefits expected.

scholarly journals Dalkurd FF

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (supl) ◽  
pp. 105-113
Author(s):  
Tiago Duarte Dias
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
First Year ◽  
Football Club ◽  
Local Institution ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
The City ◽  
Do So

As the whole world struggles with the appearance of a large-scale pandemic, individuals and institutions begin to cope with the perspective of both short and long-term changes to their plans. What had been planned out by many during January and February of 2020, no longer became feasible already during the following months. Thus, with the impossibility of knowing for how long this situation will persist, both individuals and institutions have changed their plans with a focus on when the situation will reverse to a degree of normalcy. This article aims to briefly understand and analyses the strategies centered around a Swedish football club founded by Kurdish individuals regarded to the consequences of the coronavirus crisis in the country. Both fans and employees at the club have changed their strategies regarding the first year they would be playing in their new hometown of Uppsala. The author will argue that, although, the crisis has changed their strategy and hampered their plans of becoming a local institution, it has not, in fact, changed their plans to be an integrated part of the city, but it has provided the club with newer opportunities to do so.

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