Soil monitoring of complex salinization under potash mining

摘要

This study was carried out on the territory of Verkhnekamskoe potash deposit in the Lyonva Valley. The Verkhnekamskoe potash mining led to accumulation of large quantities of mining wastes negatively affecting the environment. These wastes are mainly presented by the slurry storage facilities, salt tailing piles and brines. Water-soluble minerals were easily weathered and formed drainage water of the Na-Cl composition that polluted groundwater. As a result of ground water salinization, a substantial transformation of soils was observed around potash mining area and in the river valleys. Two types of the transformed soils were defined in that area: 1) saline alluvial gleyed humus chloride-sodium-magnesium-calcium soil;;2) secondary saline alluvial clay-loam sulfate-chloride-sodium-calcium soil.