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GEOCHEMISTRY OF LAKE KULTUBAN (SOUTH URALS): THE IMPACT OF NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC FACTORS ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE SOILS, PLANTS, WATER, BOTTOM SEDIMENTS AND HYDROBIONTS

Anatoly Opekunov, Marina Opekunova, Vsevolod Somov

Abstract

Trace elements (TE: Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Fe, Mn, Ni, Co, Ba, Zr, Sc) content in the components of the lake Kultuban (South Urals) and lakeпїЅs catchment ecosystem was studied. Trace element content was measured in samples of lake water, bottom sediments, shoots of reed Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., muscles of several fish species (Esox lucius, Carassius gibelio, Perca fluviatilis), samples of topsoil on catchment, above-ground phytomass, shoots of terrestrial plants Artemisia austriaca Jack., Thymus marschallianus Willd., Veronica incana L. Influence of mining industry on chemical composition of abiotic ecosystem components is confirmed: Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb content is enhanced in comparison with the background area. Based on lateral migration in soil catena trace elements were divided into three groups. The first one includes lithophile Sc and Ti, which are accumulated in the upper part of catena. The second one includes siderophile elements (Ni, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co) and Ba, which are accumulated in the middle of catena. The third group includes chalcophile Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb, which are accumulated in superaquatic and aquatic facies. Trace elements contents in the above-ground phytomass, aquatic plants and muscles of fish are relatively stable and close to the background values. It has been concluded that biota acts as a stabilizer in the trace elementsпїЅ cycling between biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem.

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