THE IMPACT OF THE TAILING DUMP OF ZANGEZUR COPPER- MOLYBDENUM PLANT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The mining process is accompanied by disruption of the natural balance. At the same time, huge amounts of waste accumulate, and large land areas are required for their disposal. Along with this, an intensive pollution of land areas, deterioration of the quality of surface and underground waters, pollution of the atmosphere by emissions from various sources take place. A significant accumulation of harmful substances in the soil cover leads to a decrease in productivity, the disruption in the normal development of agricultural crops, the accumulation of harmful substances in them, which makes them dangerous for human consumption.

The mining industry in Armenia is developing by increasing the industrial capacities. In the south of the country, there are copper and molybdenum deposits, as well as large operating tailing dumps: Artsvanik (385.0 million tons) and Vokhchi (31.0 million tons). The Geghanush tailing dump (7.4 million tons) is located near the city of Kapan. The territories adjacent to the tailing dumps are contaminated with both man-made dust blown off the surface of the dumps, dry beaches of the tailing dump and the dump transported over long distances, as well as drainage water seeping through the bottom and side walls of the tailing dump.

The impact of the tailing dump of the Zangezur cooper-molybdenum plant on the environment is studied, as well as the degree of contamination of the soil cover and agricultural plants grown in the territory of the influence of Artsvanik tailing dump is estimated. The results of the field studies in comparison with the maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances in agricultural plants are presented. The necessity of developing methods to decrease the contamination of the soil with harmful substances is substantiated.