Ecotoxicological assessment of soil quality in Mariupol

Abstract

The results of the determination of the phytotoxicity of soil samples of residential and recreational areas in Mariupol using the test objects Zea mays L. and Raphanus sativus L. are presented in the article. Researches were conducted in the typical landscapes of Mariupol, which are under the mutual influence of such powerful sources of heavy metal emissions as Mariupol Illich Metallurgical Plant, Metallurgical Combine Azovstal, Mariupol Coke and Chemical Plant, and also local stationary and mobile pollutants of local infrastructure. The toxic properties of the soil (phytotoxicity) were determined in all residential areas of Mariupol; in the park zones there were no toxic soil properties except the recreational zone of the Park Leporsky, which is located in the Left Bank district, where metallurgical plants are concentrated. The statistical significance of the influence of the source of soil extract and the difference between experiment and control were determined by using two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) where independent factors were the place of soil sampling and the type of the series (experiment or control), and the dependent variable was the length of the root or seedling. Holm's method was applied to increase the reliability of the statistical error of the first kind. In all, 40 comparisons of experiment and control were examined (12 sites were examined for the effects of soil extracts on Zea mays, 8 sites on Raphanus sativus, in all cases, the effect on the length of roots and shoots was evaluated). Eight significant differences between control and experiment were found, with considering of an amendment by Holm's method. The trend of dependence of the soil toxicity level on its distance from the enterprises was shown.