Presentation of a new dust-laden gas flow cleaning unit - a jet-type dust collection filter. The study covers the efficiency of the jet part of the device, as well as the performance and flow resistance at the combined jet filtration. The procedure of design of this dust catcher is developed. Recommendations for use of the developed device are given.

Multiple methods of development of landfills are available: recreation-based, forestry-based, landscaping etc. But due to the environmental profile of waste-affected areas, forests and parks can hardly be made there. The alternative to those common methods is the construction-based development, i.e. building such facilities as waste sorting stations, ballast and junk fraction briquetting facilities, as well as plants for recycling of construction waste into recycled crushed aggregates and facilities for the decontamination of contaminated soil by grate firing or dumping. This material offers principal theses for feasibility of the constructionbased development of MSW-affected areas, also groups of indicators for comprehensive assessment of the landfill body state are presented.

Possibility of use developed solid-phase nickel selective electrode on the basis of a polymeric matrix for electrometric definition of ions of nickel in water, soil and vegetable environments is investigated. Researches in model solutions of sulfate and chloride of nickel, vegetable and soil extracts are conducted. It is established that the offered electrode showed not significant drift of potential, long stable work in all studied environments and high precision of definition in the range of concentration of ions of Ni²⁺ from 2·10^-7 to 5·10^-4 mol/l.

We considered unique adsorption properties of a natural mineral – brucite from Kuldur minefield as well as brucite-based mixtures with different clays. It was shown that brucite and brucite-based mixtures allow production of different sorption materials possessing high absorption efficiency in relation to heavy metals and first of all to cuprum. These sorbents can be successfully used for creation of barrier technologies and solving of different environmental problems related to environmental protection from heavy metals, waste water treatment, etc.

The authors propose the method for the management of the biological process of nutrients removal from wastewater on the basis of the system analysis of interconnected activated sludge growth characteristics. Under the conditions of the existing wastewater treatment facilities in the city of Ufa, the quality and safety of wastewater treatment level was achieved, while the volume of the biomass being removed to the facilities for wastewater sludge treatment was reduced. This management method is promising and it makes it possible to improve the quality of wastewater treatment, to provide a several-fold reduction in operating costs and to reduce the environmental impact resulting from wastewater sludge dumping.

The study considers main areas of use of humic substances — main matrix of organic matter in soil and water — in environment protection technologies. Humic compounds are proved to be the most widely used in bio- and phytoremediation of oil contaminated soils as the boosters of microorganism vitality and plant growth, as well as the improvers (ameliorants) of crude oil- and oil product contaminated soils promoting biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. But the variety of raw material sources and humate production methods leading to high variability of properties, and absence of scientific approaches to their use result in contradictory appraisals of their performance. The conclusion is made to necessitate systematic research on processes of decontamination of petroleum hydrocarbons by humic substances and to develop for the selection criteria of humic substances to be used in cleaning technologies.

Saint Petersburg State University, Institute of Earth Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 199178 Russian

Megapolis area comprises a zone of interaction of a great number of anthropogenic factors that shall be considered while defining quality of environmental conditions, and first of all while identifying sources of pollution. One of essentially important tasks is to identify local sources of pollution at general background. These sources have not made their considerable contribution to overall condition of the territory yet, but, nevertheless, they are potentially hazardous in the future. The authors consider methods for handling the information on pollution of similar local areas and specifics of recording such a varied information.

Practical relevance is shown for neutralization of biological pollution in ballast water from vessels. The authors analyze scientific and technical measures aimed at prevention of trans-border biological pollution of marine ecosystems with ballast waters. The authors consider the structure, methods and technologies applied to ballast operations at sea vessels in order to prevent biological pollution of marine ecosystems.

A comparative assessment of different elements of forest eco-systems affected by railway transport is made. By comparing morphological, physical, chemical and microbiological properties of soils, as well as carrying out an analysis of accumulation of heavy metals in pinewood, the area of the highest effect of pollutants is identified. With due regard of the extent of changes in the properties of biocommunity the most informative indicators of its state are offered. Received data can be used in organizing environmental activities in these bioclimatic conditions.

The analysis of national research and applied research for the study and use of biotechnology in addressing some of the environmental issues, including the development of the authors; assessed their development prospects for innovation green economy in timber-chemical, pulp and paper, petrochemical, metallurgy, mining. Discussed promising new areas of C — complex methods of water purification, soil and atmosphere using metabolic potential of biological objects — plants, fungi, insects, worms and other organisms, including microbiological wastewater treatment using wood-destroying fungi, black yeast phytotechnology disposal of sewage and air industrial emissions, Zootechnology processing of large solid waste and purification of effluents of pulp and paper industry using California red worms. Noted that modern technology for bioremediation can become sources com get expensive, high-performance products that are in great demand in the market.

This study covers special effects of an industrial frequency electromagnetic field on males aged under and over 35 and working in the oil and gas industry in the Northern territories. By using the chaos/self-organization theory certain differences in parameters of cardiovascular systems of male workers in the oil and gas industry have been revealed. It has been found out that the stress on the vegetative functions of workers not affected by electromagnetic fields in the workplace is more stable in comparison to that of workers exposed to electromagnetic fields within maximum allowable limits. The most intensive chaotic dynamics of cardiovascular parameters have been revealed in males over 35 exposed to industrial frequency electromagnetic fields.