Earth’s Crysphere, 2012, Vol. XVI, No. 4, p. 10-20

ECOLOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL STATE OF THE TERRITORY OF THE GOLD-SILVER DEPOSIT “KLYON” (CHUKOT AUTONOMOUS AREA)

F.F. Bryukhan, V.V. Lebedev*

Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, 129337, Moscow, Yaroslavskoe sh., 26, Russia; pniiis-gip@mail.ru
*Regional’naya Gornorudnaya Kompaniya, 115035, Moscow, Sadovnicheskaya str., 4, build 1, Russia; v.lebedev@rmcgold.ru

According to the results of field works of sampling of soil, ground, and bottom sediments of surface waters in the Klyon and Alisa creeks and vegatation (larch pine needles) samples at the territory of the minefield “Klyon” (Bilibinsky region of Chukot Autonomous Area) and further laboratory examinations, ecological and geochemical estimation of landscape component pollution has been performed. It has been revealed that the soil ground layer is characterized by an acid or weak-acid reaction or, rarely, neutral reaction. The metal concentrations in the bottom sediments of creeks exceed considerably the corresponding concentrations in the soils and in the ground. The highest concentrations of microelements of soils and ground are typical of the man-induced sites of the minefield. Surface waters of the Klyon and Alisa creeks are of hydrocarbonate, mostly magnesium-sodium-calcium chemical composition, with a weak-acid reaction, very soft, sweet and fresh. It is shown that the microelement accumulation level in the pine needles may serve the indicator of the ecological condition of the territory. Generally, the ecological and geochemical state of landscape components of the investigated territory is satisfactory. It is marked that the permafrost essentially determine the ecological and geochemical state of the territory and its change during the construction and maintenance of the deposit.

Key words: Engineering survey, natural environment, pollution, deposit, soil, ground, surface waters, vegetation.