Assessment of selected properties of soils degraded by the mining industry: Case study of Lubelski Węgiel “Bogdanka” S.A.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate selected physicochemical properties of the soils located near the mining area of the Lubelski Węgiel “Bogdanka” S.A. mine, with particular emphasis on soil pH (pH KCl and pH H2O ), total car - bon (TOC) and inorganic carbon (IC) content, as well as salinity. Soil samples were collected from various land use types (arable land, meadows, forests, roadside areas, floodplains, and areas near a reservoir) and from two depths (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm). The results showed a wide variability in soil pH KCl , ranging from strongly acidic to neutral. Total carbon content ranged from 1.54 to 27.90 g kg⁻¹, with the highest values recorded in the topsoils of floodplain and forest soils, and the lowest in meadow soils. Inorganic carbon was generally absent, except for isolated occurrences in arable soils and near a water body. Soil salinity was low throughout the study area, with the highest values observed in the floodplain soil. The results indicate that soil properties are primarily controlled by land use and hydrological conditions, rather than by direct salinization processes. However, the spatial variability of physicochemical parameters suggests that the hydrological changes induced by mining may indirectly affect soil properties in the study area.