Vol. 337 No. 1 (2026)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/1/5008
Ecogeochemical assessment of technogenic soils in areas of coal mining waste storage within the Kizel Coal Basin
Relevance. Mining enterprises continue to adversely affect ecosystems even after their closure. This paper examines the effects of acid mine water from coal mining waste rock dumps on the soil within the Kizel Coal Basin. Aim. Investigation of the chemical and morphological properties of soils, along with their ecological and geochemical assessment. Objects. Clay lithostrats found on reclaimed Spolic Epileptic Technosol (Loamic, Densic, Skeletic) dumps; gray-humus soil that has undergone technogenic transformation, classified as Technosol (Loamic, Thionic, Toxic); gleyed lithostrat Technosol (Thionic, Gleyic, Toxic) located in areas of acid mine water runoff from the dump. Methods. Conventional and innovative methods, including the measurement of pH using hydrogen peroxide. The contents of heavy metals and trace elements were analyzed through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. X-ray phase analysis was conducted with a D2 Phaser X-ray powder diffractometer. The Zc and Igeo indices were also calculated. Results and conclusions. The lithostrats of the reclaimed waste dumps exhibit a slight acidity, with organic matter content ranging from 2 to 4%, which can increase sharply with depth due to coal inclusions. The contents of both mobile and total S and Fe were found to be 1.5–2 times greater than the background levels. Acid sulfate soils in the areas affected by the acid mine water runoff from the dumps exhibited high acidity (pHwater=2.7–4.1), and the pH measured with peroxide falls below 2.5, indicating the presence of sulfide minerals. The concentrations of mobile and total S exceed the background levels by several orders of magnitude. The granulometric composition of soils in the acid mine water runoff areas is heterogeneous throughout the profile and is marked by the presence of technogenic layers. Jarosite and goethite were identified within the gleyed lithostrate at the base of the dump. In the soils of the dumps and the acid mine water runoff, the Vinogradov’s clarke values exceed normal levels for V, Pb, and Cd. The Igeo index suggests minor contamination of the soils with Cu, Cd, and V.
Keywords:
coal dumps, acid mine waters, reclamation, acid sulfate soils, lithostrat, trace elements, indices
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