Assessment of the Impact of Soils Obtained From Sludge-Lignin Sediments (Waste from the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill) on Higher Plants

Aim. Evaluation of the impact of soils from lignin-containing colloidal sediments of Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill on higher vascular plants – oil radish, oats, fruit and berry crops (raspberries and strawberries), as well as an assessment of the dynamics of reclamation succession during its intensification by frozen lignin-containing sediments and soils obtained from them. Methodology. The impact of soils from frozen lignin-containing sediments of Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill on higher vascular plants has been studied. Freezed lignin-containing sediments are formed during the implementation of a nature-like technology for their processing by intensifying the natural processes of freezing and drainage. The paper presents an assessment of both acute and chronic phytotoxicity. To assess the possibility of using the obtained substrate in growing agricultural products, the content of heavy metals – cadmium, mercury, copper, zinc and arsenic – in strawberries and raspberries grown on experimental plots formed at the Solzansky landfill of Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill was studied. To assess the effectiveness of using the obtained substrates from lignin-containing sediments in the reclamation of disturbed lands, an assessment of the dynamics of reclamation succession was carried out. In the period from 2019 to 2024. Research was carried out to change the chemical and agrochemical composition of the waste heaps of the studied lignin-containing sediments, as well as the soils based on them. Results. The assessment conducted of the impact of soils from lignin-containing sediments on higher plants revealed the absence of both acute and chronic toxicity. It was found that the substrate obtained intensifies active growth and development of plants due to the presence of nutritious components (potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen) in its composition. Elemental analysis of berries of fruit and berry crops grown on the obtained soil did not reveal excess of standards for cadmium, mercury, copper, zinc and arsenic. Research implications. The developed nature-like technology for obtaining soils from lignin-containing sediments of the pulp and paper industry can be successfully implemented in the elimination of accumulated environmental damage at Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill.