Environment and Interdisciplinary Development

Title of the Article: Assessment of Dust Resulting from Industrial and Mining Development Using Soil Diagnostic Criterion Within a Distance, up to 30 Km West of Yazd City

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Akhavan-Ghalibaf
Saeid Masoudi

Department of Soil Sciences Management and Restoration of Arid and Desert Areas, Faculty of Natural Resources and Desert Studies, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/envj.2025.512925.1486
Abstract
Introduction: Inappropriate industrial and mining development in the suburbs of cities with a desert climate (dry subtropical) have resulted in dust pollutions. The soils in the study area were naturally alluvial soils with medium loamy sand surface texture, without layer restrictions and without salinity. The vegetation on the soils was naturally weak to medium pasture type with a predominance of Artemisia plant species (Artemisia spp.) and Tamarix species (Tamarix spp.) in the waterways.  The dangers of aerosols are not hidden from anyone. In order to mention its importance, in terms of health and treatment, we can refer to all kinds of dangerous diseases caused by the entry of silica particles or compounds such as iron into the lungs. On the other hand, suspended particles can affect solar radiation in terms of light physics and cause conditions such as greenhouse gases and local warming.  In this study, soil was used as an indicator of the impact of industries and mines on the environment. Therefore, this study aimed to identify dust pollution hotspots and distinguish areas on the outskirts of Yazd city up to 30 kilometers from Yazd city where metal industries and sand and gravel mines had affected soil characteristics.
Materials and Methods: The concentration of airborne particles in the study area where various industries were located was measured by a portable dust sampler, HazDUST Model 5000, as a mobile devise. For this purpose, in the study area, the mobile device for measuring the amount and size of suspended particles was used with the filters:10.0, 2.5 and 1.0 microns. Also, from the dusts of the different studied areas, scanning electron microscope imaging test was performed along with the supplementary X-ray energy dispersion analyzer (ESM-EDX). To investigate the effect of suspended particles on soil and to obtain the effects of dust on soil types, soil sampling was carried out separately in the areas of steel industry expansion and sand and gravel mines up to 30 kilometers west of Yazd city. 
Results: The obtained results showed that the soil types were different in the chemical and physical properties. In such a way, the areas with metal industrial dust originating from alloy steel factories were separated with suspended particles less than one micron compared to the dust from sand mines with suspended particles less than ten microns. Also, these suspended particles were deposited on the soil, which was confirmed according to the field observations of the changes in the surface horizons, such as the color of the soil horizon and the formation of the horizon necessary for the formation of industrial soil or Technosol according to the FAO WRB 2015 soil classification. More than 95% of the soils were a mixture of natural soil and technosol (industrial soil). These soils had been altered from their natural state by the effects of industrial and mining development.
Discussion: Sand mines and steel factories have managed to intensify the process of human-induced desertification in Yazd. Although the fields of work and expertise of this research have been in the field of natural geography and soil science. It can be expected that the presence of suspended particles has been able to affect people's health as well as other components related to a desert ecosystem such as vegetation and soil biomes. Since soil is one of the integral parts of every native life like the deserts of Yazd, it can be concluded that by changing the soil from natural state to industrial state, the soil is destroyed or goes through its destructive stages. With this feature, it is possible to raise the possibility of human desertification in the outskirts of Yazd city. It is necessary to take care of this matters more seriously by technical experts in addition to soil protection, also regarding in health and medical affairs.

Keywords

Suspended Particles
Steel Industry
Sand and Gravel Mining
Yazd Cit
Desert

Subjects

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Environment and Interdisciplinary Development
Volume 10, Issue 89
Summer 2025
Pages 136-148

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