Environmental Assessment of Soil and Vegetation in the Vicinity of a Mining and Processing Plant on the Basis of Earth Remote-Sensing Data

This paper examines the spatial and temporal variability of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the vicinity of an anthropogenic source of heavy metals in relation to their concentration in the soil. Analysis of singularity points in a theoretical equation describing the correlation between the resulting concentration of pollutants in the soil and the concentration of photosynthetically active biomass made it possible to determine the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of heavy metals in soils. The MPC value computed for the northern forest–steppe at the current anthropogenic pressure level based on MODIS data is 12.3 mg/kg, while that based on Sentinel-2 data is 12.5 mg/kg. A method for generalizing macrokinetic patterns in responses of living organisms to the anthropogenic impact has been proposed. Environmental risk assessment showed that the probability to exceed the threshold concentration determined by generalizing the macrokinetic patterns in responses to the impact is 74%. Based on a five-level soil-quality scale and the soil condition indicator adopted in conservation practices, the soil and vegetation cover quality in the vicinity of a mining and processing plant (MPP) has been rated. Areas homogenous in terms of the resistance of their soils and vegetation to the effect of pollutants in the MPP impact zone were mapped. Lands falling into soil-quality categories I and II (background and transitional soils) predominate in the MPP vicinity. A nature-protective zone was designated around the enterprise, and background areas were defined.