Remote sensing and geochemical monitoring of soils and vegetation cover of industrial waste dumping site (Kursk region)

The paper summarizes results of long-term remote sensing and geochemical monitoring of soils and vegetation cover influenced with abandoned industrial waste dumping site at the southern periphery of Kursk city. Analysis of prolonged image time series (1954–2018) has resulted in the reconstruction of natural landscape pattern in study area, mapping the expansion of waste deposit area under the period of active exploitation, delineation of five historic-functional zones of the dumping site. These zones are featured with different age and type of technogenic transformations in landscape structure, particular levels of heavy metals’ content and their distribution in soils and vegetation. Studies of spatial pattern and long-term (2000–2017) changes in contamination of soils and technogenic surface formations with heavy metals revealed that the maximum level of soil and vegetation pollution with heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, Cu, Sb) is fixed for the zone of excavation, mixing and secondary burying of industrial wastes in 2000s. Increased concentrations of Sb and Zn still persist in surface soil layers of chernozems outside the territory of abandoned dumping site.