Assessment of the Current Ecological State of Soils on the Western Coast of Lake Baikal (On the Example of Soils of the Coastal Part of the Lake, the Delta and the Basin of the Goloustnaya River)

Abstract

The work was carried out on the territory of the Goloustnensky municipality, located on the western shore of the lake Baikal and part of the Baikal National Park. The article presents the data of the modern assessment of their ecological state. 10 test sites were laid in the Goloustnaya River basin, its delta, as well as in the forest of the coastal part of the lake. Baikal. To assess the current state of soils, concentrations of petroleum products and heavy metals (cadmium, lead, cobalt, nickel, copper, chromium) in them were determined. The results of the study showed that the content of petroleum products in soil samples is minimal and below the permissible level of pollution. The content of cobalt, nickel, copper and chromium has been found to exceed Clark and regional background values. The increased concentrations of metals are most likely due to natural factors – namely, the composition of the underlying rocks, rather than anthropogenic impact.