Statistical Analysis of Soil Contamination in Vicinity of Coal-Processing Plant: Implications for Ecosystem Stability

Abstract

The extensive generation of waste and intensified geological processes that result from hard coal mining and active operations within mining regions have led to increases in the pollution levels of ecosystems. Most coal-mining wastes contain significant amounts of heavy metals and are, therefore, particularly hazardous to the environment. The soils around waste heaps can be contaminated with various pollutants. This article presents the results of a study of soils that were sampled in the impact zone of the waste heap of the Chervonohradska CPP of the Chervonohrad Mining District. Using statistical methods (including variogram modeling and spatial interpolation), we analyzed the spatial distributions of heavy metals in the affected soil zones. This approach allowed for an enhanced understanding of contamination-dispersion patterns and potential risk areas. The authors collected soil samples from the depth of the biotically active humus-accumulative horizon from the lower tier of the slope of the waste heap at distances of 20 m, 40 m, and 100 m from the spoil tip. We measured the contents of the studied elements in the soil using X-ray fluorescence analysis and assessed the quality of the soil by phytotesting using the Triticum aestivum L. and Lepidium sativum L. test species. It was found that the average concentrations of certain heavy metals in multiple samples exceeded the background values for the region and affected the inhibition of the development and growth of the test objects.