THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENTIATED ANTHROPOGENIC LOADING ON THE ACID-BASE REGIME OF SOILS: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TRANSPORT AND INDUSTRIAL IMPACT ZONES

Abstract

The study was based on a comprehensive chemical analysis of soil samples collected at varying distances from sources of anthropogenic pressure: areas of intense vehicular traffic (highway R28) and sanitary protection zones (SPZ) of industrial enterprises. The primary indicators selected to assess the degree of soil cover degradation and acid-base buffering capacity included: actual and exchangeable acidity – as markers of acidification intensity due to the accumulation of exchangeable Al3+and H+ cations, and hydrolytic acidity – as an integral characteristic of potential (reserve) acidity that determines the need for chemical amelioration and remediation. The results demonstrate significant differences in the nature of technogenic impact on the acid-base status of soils within the two studied zones. In the roadside area, intensive and critical acidification was recorded: the minimum pH value (3.98) was observed at a distance of 25 meters from the road edge, indicating profound chemical degradation of the soil adsorption complex and a high risk of aluminum toxicity – a factor hazardous to most agricultural crops and native plant communities. The hydrolytic acidity value (14.71 mmol-eq/100 g) confirms a substantial reserve of acidity, justifying the urgent need for chemical amelioration to restore fertility and minimize ecological risks. Furthermore, acidification enhances the mobility of toxic heavy metals, posing a threat of their entry into food chains and contamination of groundwater within roadside ecotones. In contrast to transport-affected zones, soils within the SPZ of the industrial area exhibited a pronounced alkaline effect, likely caused by emissions from cement, metallurgical, or related industries containing high concentrations of calcium and magnesium compounds. These compounds neutralize excess acidity, increasing the pH of the soil solution. The obtained results have practical significance for environmental monitoring systems, agricultural production, and spatial planning. They support the implementation of differentiated approaches to soil resource management, including the establishment of protective forest belts and liming programs in transport-affected areas, as well as monitoring alkalinity and potential solonetzicity within industrial territories. The presented data may serve as a basis for developing measures to restore degraded soils and reduce environmental pressure near infrastructure facilities.