Vol 28, No 2 (2020)

The impact on the biosphere of anthropogenic factors is a serious environmental problem. Today, pesticides are becoming one of the important chemical factors that cause adverse environmental changes. Pesticides enter the human body through a contaminated hydrosphere, atmosphere, and food. Modern man is not able to grow and maintain crops without the use of pesticides. Penetrating into the human body, they cumulate, thereby contributing to the creation of threatening health situations. Despite this, modern human civilization cannot do without them. The purpose of the review was to study the circulation volume of derivatives of thiram, such as vitalon, vitavaks, vitasil, vitaros, tir and TMTD (Tetramethylthiuram Disulfide) in the agricultural complex of the Kursk region for the period 2007-2016. The data obtained at the Kursk Regional Plant Protection Station, as well as agrochemical protection station “Kurskaya”, were subjected to statistical analysis using the application “Statistica 6.0”. Circulating volumes of thiram's derivatives were examined in agro-industrial complex of Kursk area over a 10-year period. The proportion of fungicides of thiram's series with the release of agrochemicals dominant in the structure of seed crops cultivation technologies was investigated. A study of the structure of sown areas with the allocation of priority crops grown in the region was conducted, the total number of which amounted 80.76%. The ranking of the region by thiram’s derivatives was made. All studied fungicidal products of thiram are widely used for the cultivation of crops in the Kursk region. Identified regions with the biggest amount of making this group of agrochemicals in the soil are treated as high anthropogenic load zone and require the development of environmental protection. The volume of circulation of the studying group of pesticides can be dangerous to humans and animals, influence the formation of peoples’ somatic pathologies.

The characteristics of the hazard of urban soils pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered: naphthalene (Naph), anthracene (An), phenanthrene (Phen), pyrene (Py), fluoranthene (Flu), chrysene (Chr), benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbFlu), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkFlu), dibenzo[ah]antracene (DBa), benzo[ghi]perylene (Bghi), indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene). On the example of monitoring data on the RUDN University campus and the adjacent South-West Forest Park, modern approaches to assessing the hazard of pollution levels and the environmental risk of soil pollution are demonstrated: RQ indicators, total relative toxicity in comparison to BaP, carcinogenic risk, behavior of the representative PAHs. On the basis of a critical analysis of the pollution indicators, the optimal approaches to assessing the danger of the presence of polyarenes in the soils of urban areas are demonstrated. The leading sources of pollution (influence of vehicles) were identified. Different levels of environmental hazard of polyarene soil contamination in different functional zones of the analyzed territory are demonstrated: relatively clear territory in the middle zone of the park and a specific configuration of the pollution field on the rest of the territory. The necessity of developing ecosystem standards for urban natural complexes is justified, taking into account the individual characteristics of soils, the role of soil microbiota, the specificity of the use of the territory and the characteristics of pollution sources.

The anthropogenic impact on environment of ash and slag waste of CHP 1 and CHP 2 (Chita) and CHP “Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union” (Krasnokamensk) is considered. These wastes cause irreparable damage to the environment, occupy a significant area, lead to a deterioration of the environmental situation in the surrounding areas. Liquidation of such objects of accumulated harm to the environment is the most important state task in the areas of national economy and environmental protection. Rapid recycling of ash and slag waste is possible in road construction (the main material-intensive sector of the national economy) due to large-capacity direct use. This will effectively reduce the anthropogenic impact on the environment and significantly reduce the use of mineral raw. The principal possibility of using of fly ash as a secondary mineral raw material in compositions of road soil concrete is substantiated. The methods of atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry were used to study the composition and properties of fly ash of CHP, which is a first-class mineral raw based on the specific effective activity of natural radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 40K), which allows their use in the construction industry without restrictions. It has been established that fly ash is non-porous, its hydraulic properties are classified as latent-active and can be added to road cement soils modified with additives of different nature.

Anthropogenic impact on the Himalayan marmot population in Nepal is discussed. Above the upper border of the forest, human shares the same habitats with marmots on the alluvial terraces of river valleys. Human buildings and farmland lead to fragmentation of the marmot population, and overgrazing leads to pasture digression, worsening the food supply of these rodents. At the same time, people regularly catch marmots with loops, while, in accordance with the criteria of the IUCN Red List, the population of the Himalayan marmot in Nepal should be classified as Endangered (EN) - a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

In developing countries, tropical wetlands are essential for human livelihoods since they storage and provide freshwater for domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses. Unfortunately, tropical wetlands are subjected to anthropogenic impacts, such as direct discharge of municipal, industrial and livestock wastewater, leading to water pollution, and thus, affecting directly or indirectly people's health. Therefore, water quality assessment of these unique ecosystems using practical tools, such as Water Quality Index (WQI) is of great importance. This study aims to assess the water quality of one tropical Ramsar wetland La Tembladera for human consumption in wet and dry tropical seasons using WQI. This index was calculated using the following physical, chemical, and biological parameters: potential hydrogen (pH), turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), chloride ions (Cl-), sulfates (SO42-), nitrates (NO3-), iron (Fe2+), Escherichia coli ( E. coli ), and Clostridium perfringens ( C. perfringens ). The WQI calculations revealed high values for the wet and dry tropical seasons, displaying values of 416.63 and 427.1, respectively. The obtained values indicate that the water of La Tembladera wetland is unsuitable for human consumption. These results might be valuable for legislative decision-makers to develop further recommendations and plans to improve the water quality, either for drinking purposes or other needs.