MERCURY IN DUCKWEED AS AN INDICATOR OF TECHNOGENESIS IN RUSSIA
Relevance. The studies are determined by the need to find the sensitive technogenesis indicators, which elemental composition can show the ecological and geochemical situation of the territory. Mercury have negative toxicological influence on living organism. Biological objects at the beginning of food chain could be informative and objective indicators of environmental situation and can have important information for further predictions.The aim of the research is to determine the indicator abilities of Lemnaceae family aquatic plants to the ecological and geochemical situation of various urbanized territories in Russia by studying concentration of mercury.Objects: an aquatic plant of the duckweed family (Lemnaceae), characterized by widespread occurrence, high biomass growth rate and tolerance to climatic environmental conditions. Methodology. The study was carried out according to a single methodology in 65 settlements from 46 regions of the Russian Federation.The determination of gross mercury in duckweed was carried out by atomic absorption spectrometry.Results. The role of aquatic plant of the duckweed family as a geoindicator of technogenesis is considered. The distribution of mercury in macrophyte from the study area was discovered, the average mercury content in duckweed for Russia (average median - 14,7 ng/g, arithmetic average - 18 ng/g) was calculated. The abnormally high concentrations of mercury were determined in an aquatic plant from the Stavlopol Krai, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania and Bashkorkostan, Kirov and Kemerovo Regions. The ecological and geochemical situation in these territories may be influenced by technogenic factors, such as chlorine-hydroxide production. The regional specificity of the Tomsk region were studied individually. The influence of the Northern industrial zone was particularly studied there.