ECOLOGICAL ESTIMATION OF CADMIUM CONTENT IN AGRICULTURAL CENOSIS OF THE CENTRAL CHERNOZEM REGION OF RUSSIASERGEJ V. LUKIN, SVETLANA V. SELYUKOVA, VLADIMIR A. CHERNIKOV AND NATALIA A. GAITOVAAbstract The content of cadmium in soil is the most important parameter in terms of sanitary and hygienic conditions. Plants absorb cadmium from the soil, accumulate it in their tissues, and are thus an intermediate link in the soilâplantâanimalâhuman chain. The aim of this research was to carry out an ecological estimation of cadmium content in agricultural cenosis of the Central Chernozem region of Russia. The cadmium content in soils, fertilizers, and crops was determined by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry. To reveal the selectivity of absorption of chemical elements by plants, we used calculations of the coefficient of biological absorption. The total content of cadmium in the arable layer of chernozem in the forest-steppe zone was 0.23 mg kg-1; for the steppe zone, this value was 0.35 mg kg-1. In the profile of arable chernozem, the cadmium concentration decreased with depth. The maximum concentration of cadmium was observed in sunflower seeds (0.086 mg kg-1), and the minimal concentration was in clover hay (0.014 mg kg-1). The minimal values of the coefficient of biological absorption (less than 1.0) were characteristic of alfalfa and clover, and maximal values were revealed for soybean seeds (10.8). The bulk of cadmium (74.0% of the total supply) enters the soil with organic fertilizers. The economic balance of cadmium in the agrocenosis of Belgorod region is negative. |