Elemental composition of dust aerosols near cement plants based on the study of samples of the solid phase of the snow cover

Abstract

Abstract This study is focused on the quantification of dust load on snow cover and chemical elements content in the solid phase of snow cover in the impacted areas of cement plants (the south of Western Siberia). Applying the instrumental neutron activation analysis, we identified chemical composition in the samples of the solid phase of snow cover. The results demonstrated that the dust load corresponded to the permissible pollution levels in the living zones. Dust pollution level varied from moderately hazardous to highly hazardous in the north-western impacted zone of the cement plants and raw material open pits. It was found that the predominant chemical element is Ca, as well as a group of rare-earth (Yb, Tb, Sm, La, Ce, etc.) elements in the solid phase of snow cover from the impacted zone of the cement plants.