Assessment of impact of accumulated environmental damage to the quality of soil, surface and groundwater, agricultural products resulted from the mining enterprise

The study is devoted to the assessing the impact of environmental damage caused by mining enterprise to the quality of environment and agricultural products. It is shown that the waste storage of mining plant close to residential areas forms a complex of environmental and hygienic issues associated with pollution of air, surface and groundwater (including drinking water of private and public wells), soils with hazardous metals. The key problems include air pollution with suspended substances, lead, chrome and manganese – impurities typical for the mining plant wastes. Besides, increased level of some heavy metals in the water of city wells and the compounds in local food, a comprehensive combined effect of which might form a danger to public health, is also investigated. The current environmental situation requires the development of a set of environmental and ecological-hygienic measures aimed at improving of environmental quality and minimizing the negative impact environmental risk factors on people health. (paper)