Properties of soils and soil-like bodies in the Vorkuta area

The specific features of the formation of soils and soil-like bodies on technogenic substrates in Vorkuta—a polar city specializing in coal mining—are characterized. According to the new Russian soil classification system, these soils are classified as urbanozems (urban soils) and constructozems (soil-like bodies constructed by humans); the latter are subdivided into recreazems (soil-like bodies of recreation zones) and replantozems (soil-like bodies of reclaimed urban areas with planted vegetation). They are characterized by the increased content of heavy metals and by some alkalization of the upper soil horizons in comparison with the natural background soils. The benz(a)pyrene content in most of the soil samples exceeds the maximum permissible concentration (MPC). The maximum levels of the soil contamination with benz(a)pyrene reach 80 MPCs. According to the total contamination index calculated relative to the background concentrations of the major contaminants, the upper horizons of the investigated soils and soil-like bodies are qualified as ecologically hazardous and extremely hazardous bodies.