Home – Home – Jornals – Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2026 number 3

The article discusses the diagnosis of the environmental situation in the affected area of the Karelian Okatysh iron ore mining and processing plant (Republic of Karelia), based on changes in the width of annual tree rings and the chemical composition of wood (Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, and Zn) of Pinus sylvestris. Geoecological studies were conducted on the plant’s territory in Kostomuksha and on background monitoring stations in the Kostomuksha Nature Reserve. Radial growth is limited by air and soil temperatures, precipitation, evaporation throughout the year, and, in particular, during the growing season. Edaphic factors manifest themselves through a decrease in radial increments with increasing content of poorly decomposed organic matter in soils. Since the start of the construction of the plant in 1978, climatic and edaphic conditions in the impact area have been affected by anthropogenic factors related to aerotechnogenic emissions of Fe, K, V, Ni, Zn, Mn, Co, Cd and Cr. The chemical composition of wood is mainly influenced by the underlying rock composition, with the ore components Fe-Mn-V-Ni-Cr-Ti being present in the area of the plant. In the period 1978_-2023, parageneses of Mg-Sr-K-Ti-Zn-Ca-Ba reflect pollution from mining activities, while Mn-Cd-Zn is linked to vehicle emissions. Dendroindicators reflect local environmental transformations near production sites, quarries, dumps, tailings, railway tracks, and pulp pipelines. In Kostomuksha, pollution is also noted along highways and intersections. The integral bioindication parameter BIP, based on the Harrington desirability function, indicates a relatively favorable state of organisms and a low level of disturbance. The effectiveness of dendroindication and BIP for environmental assessment has been demonstrated.