Estimation of soil pollution with heavy metals around Dashkesan mining and processing factory

The article is devoted to the results of the determination and assessment of the content of heavy metals (HM) in the soil around the Dashkesan mining and processing factory of the Azerbaijan Republic. Combine open-pit mining method produces iron ore with its subsequent enrichment by flotation. Quarry blasting, transportation and crushing of ore by flotation swallowing; open pit and waste rock dumps after ore concentration (heaps) are the main sources of environmental pollution. Air currents and meltwaters contaminants HM fall into the soil. By the method of atomic absorption spectrometry in soil, the total content of Pb, Co, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn was determined. The assessment of soil contamination by heavy metals was carried out by the Clarke number, the MPC and the total amount (Zc) of the TM. According to the Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn content, the soils are estimated as unpolluted, and according to the Co and Cr content - extremely polluted (MPC exceedance is more than 4 times). According to the total content of HM (Zс), soils are also assessed as extremely polluted. There is no regularity in the distribution of HM content in the soil around the source of pollution. As the distance from the source of contamination increases, the HM content in the soil changes spontaneously, which is a result of the influence of orographic and geological factors.