1. 1) Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography 2) Institute of Geography of Mongolian Academy of Science Natalia Kosheleva 1), Olga Sorokina 1), Dechingungaa Dorjgotov 2)

2. THE PURPOSES to assess the levels of environment contamination of major industrial centers in the Selenga River basin with heavy metals and metalloids (HMs), to define the size of technogenic geochemical anomalies of pollutants in various media, and to determine the environmental hazard of the contamination.  large multi-industrial cities (Ulaanbaatar and Darkhan),  the Zaamar area on the Tuul River, which is the major center of gold mining in the basin and  mining cities with extraction and enrichment of non-ferrous metals (Erdenet and Zakamensk). The subjects of the study include:

3. Ulaanbaatar Location of Sampling Sites

4. Zaamar Location of Sampling Sites Darkhan

5. Zakamensk Erdenet Location of Sampling Sites Zakamensk

6. Total Sample Amount SamplesUlaanbaatarDarkhanErdenetZakamenskZaamar Topsoils 9012527011986 Soil pits 183241- Poplar leaves 8244196- Larch needles 21-79- Sediments 521011 Snow cover 21107-- Atmospheric aerosols 132---- Brown coal, fly ash, sludge 434-- Dumps, tailings --241643

7. Analytical Works

8. Data Processing Methods Statistica 7.0 - statistical data processing (mean, min-max, standard deviation, variability, cluster analysis) Microsoft Excel - geochemical coefficients (CC/CD, Kc/Kd), geochemical spectra, integral pollution indexes (Zc, Zv), comparison with Maximum Allowable Concentrations standards SPLUS - multivariate regression trees models for HM content in topsoils and vegetation ArcGIS 10.0 - mapping The analytical data were grouped according to functional zones to identify spatial geochemical heterogeneity of urban area depending upon their functional identity.

9. Study Area Tuul Valley Cities are situated in valleys of the Selenga tributaries; Intermountain valley relief with elevations 700-1300 m above sea level; Severely continental climate with annual precipitation from 360-400 mm in Zakamensk to 200-250 mm in Ulaanbaatar; Parent material is represented with alluvial-prolluvial loamy sediments and sandy loams, shale rocks, granitoids and granosienits; Ecotone zone of Southern Siberia and Central Asia: - forests (often, typical sub-taiga) on mountain soddy taiga and mountain meadow-forest soils cover the Southern slopes, - shrub-dry-steppes and meadow-steppes (gradually replaced by dry steppes) on mountain stony chernozems and chestnut soils cover the Northern slopes, - meadow communities and willows (rarely poplar-Iarch riparian forests) on the alluvial stony-pebbly soils cover the river valleys.

10. Anthropogenic Influence Environmental Backlash land degradation due to wind and water erosion; increasing of dust content in the atmosphere; increasing of contamination of snow cover, vegetation and soils with technogenic substances, especially in cold season Cities UlaanbaatarErdenetDarhanZakamenskZaamar Population, thousands pers 103180,187,611,70,5 Traffic, thousands cars 92,75,53,0<1,0- Contamination sources Multi-industry production Cu-Mo ore mining and concentration Ferrous metallurgy, dressing of leather, Au mining W-Mo ore mining and concentration Au mining Traffic, thermal power plants and stoves in hoseholds in ger zones, fly ash of brown coal combustion

11. As, Bi, Zn, Th, Fe, Co, Cr, Cu Be, Cd, Mo, Sb, Sr, V TPP: high combustion temperature GER: low combustion temperature Geochemical Specialization of Pollution Sources

12. Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Fe leaded petrol sewage wastes Pb, Cd, Hg, Bi, Ag, Sn, Sb, Cu, Zn Geochemical Specialization of Pollution Sources

13. Dumps and Tailings Zn, Cu, Pb, Mo, W, Cd, Sb, F, As

14. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 DECJANFEBMAR Atmospheric Pollution Index center, multi-storied residential area (1) west, multi-storied residential area (2, 3) - center, ger residential area (4) south-west, ger residential area (5) east, ger residential area (6)

15. brown coal combustion result Solid Fraction (dust)Dissolved Fraction (snow water) Integral Pollution Index Zc (pollution levels) < 32 (low) 32-64 (medium) 64-128 (high) 128-256 (very high) 256-512 (maximum) > 512 (maximum)

16. Ulaanbaatar city (Pb, Zn, Mo, Cr) Recreation (Mo, Ni) Multi-storied residential (Pb, Zn, Mo, Cd, Cu, Cr) Traffic (Cr, Pb, Zn, Cu, Mo) Industrial (Zn, Mo, Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu) Ger residential (Pb, Zn) Functional Zones Background soils geochemical specialization

17. Excess of Maximum Allowable Concentration Standards (% of city area) – As(100%)>Zn(38)>Mo(20)>Pb(18)>Cr(4) Integral Pollution Index Zc=ΣKc-(n-1) n- number of samples with Kc>1,0 Integral Pollution Index Zc (pollution levels) < 8 (low) 8-12 (low) 12-16 (low) 16-20 (medium) 20-24 (medium) > 28 (medium) 24-28 (medium) POLLUTION SOURCES Industry Treatment plant Textile Construction Thermal power plants Traffic Most busy intersections Food processing Rail facilities Railway objects Highways

18. <0,7%0,7-1,0% Content of physical clay Content of Organic Carbon <1,8% 5,9 Cv=36,3% n=6 9,1 Cv=21,5% n=7 >1,8% 10,0 Cv=51,1% n=6 19,9 Cv=48,9% n=10 >13,2% <9,3 Content of physical clay Content of СO 3 2- <0,9%>0,9% >1,0% 6,6 Cv=41,1% n=10 Content of СO 3 2- <0,9%>0,9% 2,8 Cv=56,7% n=11 6,1 Cv=19,5% n=7 <13%>13% Content of Organic Carbon 13,2 Cv=28,9% n=6 9,3-13,2% 16,6 Cv=57,5% n=8 10,2 Cv=23,2% n=6 Altitude <1300 м>1300 м Content of СO 3 2- >1,1%<1,1% 6,7 Cv=50,9% n=6 9,6 Cv=17,2% n=10 pH <7,5>7,5 Regression tree for integral pollution index (Zc) in the soils of Ulaanbaatar Regression tree for integral pollution index (Zc) in the soils of Ulaanbaatar The factors of the differentiation are given in the oval figures. The factor ranges are given on the lines. The figures with red shading present the following: the mean Zc value in the topsoils under particular combinations of factors; Cv - variation coefficient; n - number of samples.

19. traffic industrial multi-storied residential ger residential recreation Larch Needles Poplar Leaves Functional Zones

20. Functional zones: 1 – industrial, 2 – multi-storied residential, 3 – ger residential, 4 – recreation; 5 – traffic; 6 – anomalies, mg/kg (ppm) mg/kg (ppm)

22. Background soils geochemical specialization Industrial (W 15 Cr 8.8 Hg 2.6 Ge 1.9 Mo 1.9 Zr 1.5 ) Traffic Multi-storied residential (W 8.6 Hg 2.7 Ge 1.5 Zn 1.5 ) Ger residential (W 9.1 Zn 1.8 Mo 1.7 Hg 1.5 ) Functional zones

23. Excess of Maximum Allowable Concentration Standards (% of city area) Cr(80%)>V(60)>Mo(49)> Cu(27)>Zn(24)>Pb(13) Pollution levels Integral Pollution Index Zc low mediumhigh very high maximum

24. Industrial (Cu 1.8 Mo 1.5 ) Traffic Multi-storied residential (Ge 2.2 Zn 2.0 ) Ger residential (Sn 2.6 Ge 2.4 Zn 1.7 Cu 1.6 Mo 1.5 ) Functional zones Background soils geochemical specialization

25. Pollution levels Integral Pollution Index Zc low mediumhigh very high maximum Excess of Maximum Allowable Concentration Standards (% of city area) Cu(82%)>Mo(71)> Cr(51)>V(24)>Zn(20)

27. UCuZnAsPbMoWCdSbF Concentrations, mg/kg (ppm) 9.7 23 - 830 70 – 1,000 3 – 50 15 – 870 1.3 – 260 20 - 1,100 0.5 – 14 2.6 – 120 50 - 16,000 Technogenic sands, Kc 77.75.11.87.85.538.810.67.69.1 City center, park, Kc 92.63.11.44.5883.74.62.9 *Data were given by Fillipov Buryatiya State Agricultural Academy

28. Integral Pollution Index Zc pollution levels) < 16 (low) 16-32 (medium) 32-64 (high) > 128 (maximum) 64-128 (very high)

29. 2011 – removal of 3.2 million tones of technogenic sands

30. The Tuul river valley transformation due to the gold mining Dredge working in the river valley Sediments sampling from the Tuul river