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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Toxicology, Pollution and the Environment
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2024.1508338

Investigation of possible negative consequences of environmental pollution by phosphorite production wastes

Provisionally accepted
Duman Aliaskarov Duman Aliaskarov 1Yerlan Issakov Yerlan Issakov 1Nursultan Salimzhanov Nursultan Salimzhanov 1Nursultan Bakanov Nursultan Bakanov 1Kai Zhu Kai Zhu 2*Lóránt Dénes Dávid Lóránt Dénes Dávid 3
  • 1 Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
  • 2 Hubei University, Wuhan, China
  • 3 Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The significant increase in phosphorus production has disrupted the balance between society and nature, leading to serious environmental problems. In particular, it has become a major source of pollution for water bodies, land, and the atmosphere. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of Kazphosphate LLP on the ecological state of the environment in the single-industry town of Karatau, Kazakhstan. The study site is located in the Karatau phosphorite basin near the town of Karatau, the center of Talas district, northwest of Taraz. The study assessed air quality in Karatau, surface water quality, heavy metal content in soil and phosphate pool water, and the process of formation of young soils on anthropogenic waste sites. The heavy metal content (Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn) in soil and water samples was determined using the atomic absorption method. As a result, the standard index of hydrogen sulfide in Karatau's atmospheric air showed an SI of 0.9, with the greatest repeatability (GR) being 0%. Magnesium, sulfates, and floatables were found to be the main pollutants of water bodies. The concentration of zinc in soil samples (361.4-654.4 mg/kg) was 7-12 times higher than the maximum permissible concentration (MPC). In addition, the need for comprehensive measures to restore the soil ecosystem in connection with the slowdown of soil formation on technogenically disturbed lands of the Karatau phosphorite basin has been identified. Thus, the results of the study can become the basis for the development of measures and programmes to reduce air and water pollution by mining and industrial wastes, as well as soil pollution from Karatau production. In the future, it is proposed to conduct studies on the effectiveness of reclamation works at the sites of stopped open pits and dumps of the Karatau phosphate basin.

    Keywords: Phosphorite production, Environmental Pollution, heavy metals, soil contamination, Public health impact, Waste Management

    Received: 10 Oct 2024; Accepted: 13 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Aliaskarov, Issakov, Salimzhanov, Bakanov, Zhu and Dávid. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Kai Zhu, Hubei University, Wuhan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.