Comparative analysis of soil pollution in influence zone of cement plants

The development of the mining sector of the solid minerals industry is closely linked to the production of crushed stone, gravel, cement and other building materials. However, the operation of quarries to extract of raw material components for cement production is accompanied by the emission of various pollutants into the environment, including heavy metals. In this context, studies were conducted to assess the level of gross heavy metals contamination in the soil around the Hrazdan Cement Corporation and the Ararat Cement Factory. Soil samples were taken from sites at a distance of 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 25 km from the operating plants, taking into account the wind rose direction for each of the study regions. In the vicinity of the plants, the comparative concentration range for heavy metals was Zn>Cr>Ni>Cu>Pb>Co>Mo for both cases. At the distances of 25 km from the sources, the concentration of all heavy metals decreased. The risk of soil contamination increases in direct proportion to the content of heavy metals in soil samples. According to the geoaccumulation index values in the vicinity of Hrazdan Cement Corporation, soil samples were in class IV contamination for Cu and Pb as well as for Ararat Cement Factory, corresponding to class IV contamination for Cu.

Sukiasyan A. R., Kroyan S. Z., Tovmaysan S. V., Margaryan A. A., Kirakosyan A. A. Comparative analysis of soil pollution in influence zone of cement plants. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2024;(12):78-91. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2024_12_0_78.

The work was supported by the Science Committee of the MESCS RA within the framework of research project No. 21T-2H216.

A.R. Sukiasyan, Dr. Sci. (Geoecology), Assistant Professor, Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, 0051, Yerevan, Armenia, e-mail: sukiasyan.astghik@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5549-3146,
S.Z. Kroyan¹, Cand. Sci. (Agr.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: kroyan.samvel@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6627-7761,
S.V. Tovmaysan, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Cadastre Committee, Yerevan, 0023, Armenia, e-mail: suren.tovmasyan@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6939-9951,
A.A. Margaryan¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), e-mail: anush.margaryan.89@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4011-5665,
A.A. Kirakosyan, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA), Yerevan, 0009, Armenia, e-mail: arm.kirakosyan71@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4447-8383,
¹ National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, Yerevan, 0009, Armenia.

A.R. Sukiasyan, e-mail: sukiasyan.astghik@gmail.com.

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