Estimation of heavy metals and radionuclides deposition area on the environment of the domestic waste landfill on the 9th km of Vilyuisky tract in Yakutsk

The moss-biomonitor method was used for the first time to estimate the areal of precipitation extent of heavy metals and other trace elements (Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sr, Sb, V, Zn and Hg) in the territory surrounding the landfill of domestic (communal) waste on the 9th km of the Vilyuisky tract in Yakutsk within a radius of 150 km, using the method of optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. At the same time, mosses, lichens and soil were analysed for the content of radionuclides (⁴⁰К, ¹³⁷Cs, ²¹² Pb, ²¹⁴Pb, ²¹²Bi, ²¹⁴Bi, ²⁰⁸Tl, ⁷Be, ²²⁸Ac) in a number of samples taken by semiconductor gamma spectrometry. The results of the study of moss samples by optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma indicate the presence of a large amount of toxic paper (Ba) and metal debris (Al, Co, Cr, Fe, S, Pb) in the landfill. In addition, it was shown that the following elements were found in the studied samples: Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn, Hg. Gamma-ray spectrometry revealed that radioactive elements such as caesium ¹³⁷Cs, daughter products of uranium ²³⁸U and thorium ²³²Th are present in the studied samples. Detection of the same heavy metals and radionuclides in the atmospheric environment and town soil (data from the scientific and technical report “Origin and composition of dust on the territory of the Municipal Entity of Yakutsk”), as well as in vegetation and soil near the landfill (data presented in this paper) may indicate that one of the sources of environmental contamination may be the products of combustion resulting of the landfill contents at the 9th km of the Vilyuisky tract.

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