The saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica), a keystone migratory species of the Central Asian steppes and deserts, is increasingly threatened by habitat fragmentation due to the rapidly expanding transport infrastructure in Kazakhstan, which hosts approximately 95% of the species’ global population. This study provides a spatial assessment of railway and road infrastructure across the contemporary ranges of the Betpaqdala, Ustyurt, and Ural saiga populations. Using the literature and our field data from the 1980s to the present day, combined with geographic information system (GIS)-based analysis of 80,427 km of roads and 4021 km of railways, we have quantified infrastructure densities and identified critical barriers to saiga migration using kernel density and minimum convex polygons (MCP) estimations. The results reveal a negative connection between infrastructure density and occurrences of saiga herds, particularly in the Ustyurt population, where a high railway density coincides with severely reduced migratory activity and a reduction in this population’s winter range by 79.84% since 2015. Major railways such as Sekseuildi–Zhezqazgan, Zhezqazgan–Zharyk, and Shalqar–Beineu intersect essential migratory pathways and have contributed to significant range contraction, subpopulation isolation, and northward shifts in seasonal habitats. In contrast, the Ural population (subject to minimal railway infrastructure interference) has shown robust demographic recovery. While roads are more widespread, their impact is less severe due to greater permeability. However, upcoming projects such as the China–Europe transit corridor and the “Center–West” regional development corridor could amplify future threats. We recommend immediately implementing wildlife-friendly infrastructure, including overpasses and ecological corridors, to preserve the connectivity of saiga ranges and support the long-term conservation of this ungulate species. © 2025 by the authors.

The article considers the assessment of the transfer of pollutants by the state of pollution of snow cover and soil to rank the study area by degree of pollution (2018–2020). The object of the study is one of the major megalopolises of the country ― the territory of Almaty agglomeration (AA) with a total area-939.5 thousand hectares. The area of the agglomeration includes 188 settlements of Almaty region, the center of which is the city of Almaty, includes parts of five administrative districts of Almaty region: Karasai, Talgar, Ili, Enbekshikazakh and Zhambyl, as well as cities of Kaskelen, Kapshagai, Talgar and Yesik. Assessment of the degree of pollution of the territory of the Almaty agglomeration is calculated one of the characteristics of soil and snow cover (SC) pollution, which are the total pollution index (Zc), which is determined by the degree of accumulation of the pollutant compared to the background point. Analysis of pollution of the AA area according to the values of metal concentration ratios for 2018–2020 showed that the largest contribution is copper, zinc and lead in the soil, while for SC mainly cobalt, nickel, copper and lead, which were also several times higher than the limit standards. Cartographic ranking of the territory of the AA showed that relatively high total pollution levels of SC were observed in 2020 in the areas that were most exposed to pollution from sources such as CHPP-2, power plants, household stoves, coal-fired and motor vehicles. According to the total values of soil pollution AA territory is characterized by a high level of pollution, and the territory of Almaty, according to the existing gradation, refers to a very high level of pollution in all the years studied. © 2023, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. All rights reserved.

Disposal of spent drilling fluid at uranium deposits using flocculants is a process of cleaning and neutralizing spent drilling fluid in order to minimize its negative impact on the environment. The development of a plant for the disposal of spent drilling fluid in uranium deposits using flocculants is an important task, since the spent drilling fluid contains various contaminants, including heavy metals and radioactive elements, which can harm the environment. The use of flocculants in this process improves disposal efficiency, as they are able to remove solids and other contaminants from the drilling fluid, which reduces its toxicity and reduces the amount of waste released to the surface. The development of a plant for the disposal of used drilling fluid should include several stages, such as the selection of suitable flocculants and determining their optimal dosage, the development of a dewatering and solid waste recovery process, and the selection of appropriate equipment and technologies for the process. In addition, the design of the plant must take into account compliance with local regulations and environmental regulations, as well as ensure the maximum efficiency and economy of the process. The result of the study is the creation of a useful model for the disposal of waste drilling fluids, which relates to the field of disposal of waste drilling fluid accumulated during the construction of technological wells for underground leaching of uranium ore.

Being home to over 6,000 plant species, Kazakhstan is a world leader when it comes to biodiversity hotspots, and nearly 150 plant species of medicinal value are on the verge of extinction. According to the Red Book of Kazakhstan (2021), there are 42 species of medicinal plants in Kazakhstan that are "endangered" and "critically endangered," the main reason for which is loss of habitat (55%), over-harvesting (30%), and climate change (15%). Aiming for a comprehensive conservation plan, this research focuses on the site of major distribution areas of endemics such as Rheum tataricum and Glycyrrhiza uralensis, constructing a living gene bank with more than 1,000 seed specimens, and enhancing local community participation. It also suggests creating more stringent legislation to curb illegal harvesting and increasing protected territories to 20% by the year 2030. Preliminary findings suggest that the execution of this approach can guarantee the survival of 80% of the target species within the decade.

In this research paper, the problem of studying the effectiveness of ozone in the process of water treatment was considered. In the course of the scientific work, a review of domestic and foreign literature was conducted; its advantages and disadvantages were considered. The research paper presented the theoretical and practical methods of water purification with ozone. The main factors influencing the efficiency of the technology in the process of water purification were also considered. It was established that as a technological method of water purification, the efficiency of the ozonation process includes not only the cost of electricity, but also the efficiency of its mixing, ozone dissolution in treated water. In addition, special attention is paid to the final stage of mixing the ozone-air mixture with treated water. From the results obtained, it can be seen that after primary ozonation, the concentrations of chromium, oxidation of permanganate, iron, petroleum products, metal ions and other pollutants significantly decreased. During further water purification, organic and inorganic pollutants are removed in the future (completely or up to the requirements of the standard). However, calcium, magnesium, sulfates, chlorides, pH value, alkalinity and hardness practically do not change. The water quality after primary ozonation according to bacteriological indicators met the requirements of the standard. © 2023,Journal of Ecological Engineering. All Rights Reserved.

Investigation of the physical characteristics of mineral artifacts was undertaken with purpose of development of dating by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method in a new direction, by means of analysis of spectra of the carbonate probes from the surface of archaeological artifacts. The artifacts – samples of layers from the surface of ceramics and stone tools, containing impurities of quartz and alumosilicates, have been tested. For obtaining the physical characteristics and dating the complex of the methods and equipment has been used which allowed us to reveal specialties of mineral content and structure of the surface. There were chosen optimal conditions for registration, distinguishing and identification of the EPR signals from the paramagnetic centers. Applying of radiation of the ILU-10 accelerator with converter and consequent EPR-studying allowed to estimate the age of artifacts. © 2024 Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan, A.Kh. Khalikov Archaeology Institute. All rights reserved.

The study conducted a comparative analysis of the quality of domestic fat and oil products obtained through hydrogenation or transesterification methods, with a focus on reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, as well as the ratio between hypocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids, were calculated to evaluate the lipid quality of palm oil and hydrogenation products using nickel and platinum catalysts. It was found that the use of the transesterification method with palm oil (stearin) significantly reduces the content of trans-isomers. However, it simultaneously creates a more severe issue of excessive saturated fatty acid content, which significantly increases the risk of both cardiovascular and oncological diseases compared to the hydrogenation method. The solution to the problem appears to involve substituting nickel catalysts with developed low-percentage platinum hydrogenation catalysts and expediting the organization of their industrial production in the country. In this work, we have also investigated the hydrogenation mechanism of sunflower oil in the presence of a nickel catalyst by applying quantum chemical calculations and HyperChem software. The results have shown the existence of strong intermolecular interactions between linoleic acid and nickel metal according to the optimized structures, molecular electrostatic maps, molecular orbitals, bond lengths and energies. © The Author(s) 2025.

This scientific research work is written based on the problem of studying the process of ozonation and sorption filtration of natural and anthropogenically polluted waters. Scientific research work of our country is diverse It was prepared in the laboratory of water ozonation, and purification technology and equipment of Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K. I. Satbayev based on long-term research conducted in cities and regions. The current state of ozonation equipment and active carbon production is considered in the research work. The scientific research work is intended to solve problems and tasks related to the use of ozonation and sorption water purification methods for employees of the sector of quality water supply and water treatment. In addition, the research work is devoted to the problems of water purification using ozone. Provides general information about the properties of ozone, its interaction with inorganic and organic compounds. The main methods of obtaining ozone, the effect of design parameters on the efficiency of ozonators are shown. The main domestic and foreign manufacturers of ozonation equipment are presented. In the research paper, considering the effectiveness of removing various organic and inorganic pollutants of natural and anthropogenic origin, microbiological pollutants, the authors' long-term research on purification and disinfection of natural waters are systematized. Production experience of using ozone in foreign and Kazakh water facilities, as well as in local water treatment plants is presented. © 2023 by ASERS® Publishing. All rights reserved.

As a consequence of global population growth and increasing demand for agricultural commodities, vast areas of cultivable land have been brought under cultivation, while natural ecosystems are being converted for agricultural use. This transformation has led to various forms of soil degradation, with excessive salinity emerging as a critical concern. Drought-prone ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to salinization processes, resulting in an annual reduction of arable land by approximately 1% to 2%. In the Kazakhstan, salt-affected soils account for approximately 43% of all agricultural land. The aim of this study is to assess the extent and spatial distribution of soil salinity in the Talas district of Kazakhstan and to identify the dominant chemical characteristics of soil salts across different land types. To achieve this, soil samples were collected from river valleys, desert pastures, irrigated lands, and sandy areas. The analysis focused on salinization processes, ion toxicity thresholds, and the chemical composition of soil salts. Results reveal that salt accumulation varies between the 30 cm and 80 cm soil layers in river valleys and desert pastures, whereas the highest concentrations are observed in the upper layers of irrigated soils. The greatest variation in average salt content by soil texture was ±0.81% in loamy soils and ±0.62% in silty loam soils. These findings highlight the urgent need for ecologically sound land management strategies to mitigate soil salinization, especially in irrigated areas. They also offer valuable insights for enhancing irrigation efficiency and preserving soil fertility in Talas and other comparable regions. © 2025, Geographical Institute "Jovan Cviji" of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. All rights reserved.

Near the ore deposits as well as in adjacent territories near enterprises and areas for storing raw materials and waste during the enrichment and processing of heavy metals, there are zones of accumulation of high concentrations of substances involved in the technological process of metallurgical production. To control the negative impact to the environment, to reduce negative consequences, it is required to monitor and carry out environmental protection measures aimed at preserving the acceptable properties of the habitat of various types of organisms in the soil, water and air. The harmful impact of human economic activity to the nature can be remote both in time and in space. This is due to a number of factors: the persistence of the processes of impact to the nature caused by the dynamics of biogeocenoses, the resistance and adaptation of the ecosystem to negative impacts, the effects of summation and migration of pollutants, etc. Studies of heavy metal contamination of snow cover and soil were carried out by taking soil and snow samples for atomic sorption spectrometry. When assessing the distribution of pollutant concentrations,the maps of contamination of Ile River delta territory by Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Cadmium (Cd) were created. This made it possible to clarify the mechanism of transport of pollutants and identify areas of accumulation of heavy metals in snow and soil. Based on the results of the analysis, were made the conclusions about participation of heavy metal deposits in the emissions of substances accumulated in the lithosphere. This is confirmed by the relative location of emission sources and pollutant accumulation zones. Transfer over land occurs over longer distances compared to air trajectories crossing the waters of the Lake Balkash. Research results can be taken into account for the development of environmental protection measures. © 2023, National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. All rights reserved.