A technological scheme and principles for the preparation of sorption materials based on waste polyethylene terephthalate and thermally expanded graphite for the purification of water from oil products have been developed. The results of studies of conditions for the formation of the structure of sorption materials, the dependence of physical-mechanical, sorption properties on the composition of the compounds are presented. The specific surface, porosity, buoyancy and oil sorption of sorption materials are determined. The possibility of using sorbents to collect oil products from the surface of water has been proven by experience.

Application of technology of an intensification of process of sedimentation of superficial drains at oil pumping stations by reagent and gravitational upholding with preliminary activation of reagents ultrasonic influence is experimentally proved. Essential acceleration of process of sedimentation of a real drain at ultrasonic impact on reagent solution, in comparison with the existing gravitational upholding that allows to create new technological schemes of the accelerated division of drains in tanks of static upholding, for the purpose of prevention of their overflow and dumping of the crude drain in environment is revealed.

The proposed technology of ultrasonic pulp processing in a magnetic field makes it possible to obtain a magnetic concentrate from tailings of magnetic enrichment with a total iron content of 40,8 % and a nonmagnetic product with an iron content of more than 26 % total, which is the iron oxide pigment concluded by the Yaroslavsky Pigment LLC research laboratory. Thus, this technology for processing technogenic tailings is non-waste and economically feasible.

The article shows the environmental threats posed by human activities, in particular the danger of alumina production. Stressed the urgency of the problem. An attempt is made to the use of alumina production waste in the construction industry, which will lead to improvement of ecology of settlements, as Red mud will throw with drilling waste, which may lead to non-waste production. The possibility to use different types of red mud when replacing the sand for cement and concrete works, that will allow to decrease the weight of building structures, without losing their strength is shown. Similar concrete structures used for urban planning will have lower thermal conductivity, which will affect the economy of communal services.

Questions of noise impact as a factor of ecological risk in conditions of urban territories are considered. Approaches to estimation of ecological risk from acoustical; pollution on the example of Togliatti city are considered. Results of research are allowing to make the conclusions that presently noise is specific factor of ecological risk causing complex negative impact in conditions of urban territories.

Based on the results of processing satellite images of mining landscapes of existing coal mines, the reclamation and self-restoration coefficients of the vegetation cover were determined at a level of 0.357. It is established that in the conditions of the continental climate, at an intensive rate of development of coal deposits by the open method, all types of vegetation cover are slowly formed, which does not meet the requirements for restoring the ecological balance in the conduct of economic activities by mining enterprises.

Based on the results of processing satellite images with the delimitation of boundaries and classes of mining landscapes of operating coal mines, ecologically acceptable coefficients for reclamation and self-healing of vegetation cover at a level of 0.4 have been determined. Such indicators were achieved due to work on forest reclamation, as well as self-restoration of all layers of vegetation in quarries and rock dumps. It has been established that in low-mountain conditions, the processes of restoration of shrub and forest vegetation proceed quite effectively from the position of restoring the ecological balance.

Based on the results of the processing of satellite images with the delineation of boundaries and classes of mining landscapes of operating coal mines, the coefficients for reclamation and self-restoration of vegetation cover on dumps and in quarries in the range of 0.033–0.476 were determined. For coal mines with low values of self-regeneration coefficients of ecosystems, measures were recommended to improve the ecological situation by carrying out works on reclamation of disturbed lands. It has been established that under the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of the Kuzbass the processes of self-restoration of shrub and forest vegetation are characterized by low rates of their flow in time and are ineffective from the position of restoring the ecological balance.

Based on the results of the processing of satellite images with the delineation of boundaries and classes of mining landscapes of operating coal mines, the reclamation and self-restoration coefficients of vegetation cover on dumps and quarries in the range of 0.141–0.746 have been determined. For coal mines with low values of self-regeneration coefficients of ecosystems, a set of special works for mining and biological reclamation of disturbed lands was recommended. It is established that in the eastern part of the Kuznetsk basin the processes of self-healing of the plant ecosystem are characterized by low rates of their flow in time and are ineffective from the position of restoring the ecological balance.

The characteristic associations of heavy metals in soil and subsoils for diffusion halos of various industrial enterprises are presented. The conditions for a full assessment of pollution of roadside territories are justified. The analysis of the degree of influence of technological aureoles of enterprises dispersion on heavy metal contamination of the Kazan direction line of the Moscow railway line within the South-Eastern District of Moscow and territories adjacent to it is carried out. The distribution of metals in the roadside zone along the main path is shown, at the stopping points and near the sorting station, and also depending on the distance from the outermost path. The predominant heavy metals in the contamination of the right-of-way are determined. The categories of danger of soil and subsoils in the roadside zone are identified.

Topical issues of improving the quality of life of the population associated with the influence of environmental factors are considered. The nature and specificity of the impact of environmental indicators on the social well-being, the healthy image and life expectancy of people, as well as their perceived well-being and satisfaction with life, are discussed. As a method of research are given the data of a sociological survey conducted by the authors in 2017 in the Moscow, Saratov and Lipetsk regions. An important role in the study is given to such a component of the quality of life as the characteristics of the environment. Among the most important environmental problems of the regions were identified problems with health, environmental pollution, poor-quality food, increasing garbage dumps.