SAPROPEL

The term Sapropel means "decayed". It was introduced by Lauthenberg in 1901 and independently by Potonie in 1904. It's also possible to find another term, "gittia", but it s not often used in scientific scripts. Within the group of mineral and organic medical soils they are called peloids, what means silts.
Sapropel is bottom sediment of freshwater lakes formed by decomposition of died-off water plants, remains of living organisms and soil particles alluviated without access of oxygen. Sapropel is a restorable natural resource and unique natural organic raw material. Its deposits can be formed only in freshwater pools. Accumulation of sapropel is continuing now, and in many pools it is progressing. Elemental composition and properties of sapropel of different deposits essentially differ and are determined by conditions of its formation, and also by variety of vegetation and fauna of lakes.

According to tests carried out by geological expeditions in Novosibirsk and Gorki in different time (1960-1980), sapropel recourses of Omsk region (in 27 lakes of Tarski, Bolsherechenski, Znamenski, Tukalinski, Kolossovski and Sargatski districts) count 400-600 thousands tons. On 01.01.1993 in Omsk region there are 174 sapropel deposits of industrial quantities, occupying area of 17,8 thousands hectares making in total 186 billion tons.

Sapropel is restockable mineral recourse and unique organic raw material. It's depositions can be formed only in fresh-water pools. Their accumulation is continuing. Chemical contents and particular properties of sapropel in different lakes differ a lot and are depend on the conditions of forming and on variety of flora and fauna of lakes. There thrwee main compounds in sapropel^ water (60-97%), ashy part (sand, clay, carbonates, silica, iron elements etc.) and organic matter of complicated heterogeneous formula. Thus, in general, sapropel is composed by water, organic and inorganic parts.

Depending on quantitative content of mineral part sapropels are divided to organic, percentage of inorganic elements in which is less than 30% and ash-rich sapropels, in which the content of inorganic (ashy) part it is less than 30 %. Ash-rich sapropels are subdivided to carbonaceous (СаО), siliceous (SiO2) and mixed, containing approximately equal quantity of SiО2 and CaO.

In addition to silicon and calcium sapropels can contain compounds of ferrum, magnesium, potassium, aluminium, sulfur, phosphorus and others. Sapropels also contain a plenty of microelements - Co, Mn, Cu, B, Zn, I, Br. Mo. Cr. Be. Ni. Ag. Sn, Pb, Sr, Ti, what has considerable practical value at estimation of sapropels as fertilizers, remedies and fodder additions for animals.

The most valuable compounds of sapropel are biologically active substances and whole set of microelements, which beneficently influence health of the people, animals and plants. It contains protein, fat, vitamins, hormones, carotenoids, antioxidants, growth - stimulants etc. A set of these matters and their densities in many respects are stipulated by deposition conditions of sapropel, structure of fauna and flora of lakes, features of a biogeochemical zone and occurrence depth. Lack of oxygen and minor temperature variations make peculiar conditions, in which all living and died-off animal cells, microalgas, soil humus, fungi etc. have tendency to decompose to aminoacids and low molecular weight peptides, nucleotides, nucleosides, producing "semi-alive" cells and tissues of highly active biological matters

The organic matter of sapropels is a set of remains of animals and vegetation, as well as products of their decay. Organic matters include:

1. Oddments of vegetative and animal organisms of a different degree of decomposition
2. Remains of plants and animals
3. Monomeric compounds - hydrolysates of biopolimers
4. Products of vital activity of micro-organisms, vitamins and other biologically active substances
5. Polymeric compounds derivated in process biotic and an abiotic destruction and synthesis of organic matters

A lot of microorganisms, filling sapropel deposits, synthesize vitamins, enzymes, antibiotics and other biologically active matters. Sapropels contain vitamins B (B1, B12, B3, B6), E, C, B, P, carotinoids. There are also plenty of enzymes, for ex. catalase, peroxydase, reduktase, protease.
Sapropels are the natural biopolymers and valuable natural raw material for use in industry, medicine and agriculture. Spheres of application are given at dr. 1

Omsk region possess immense potential organomineral recourses. Sapropel deposits are detected in 174 fresh-water pools making in all 200 billion tons, though according to specialists assessments their total amount in Omsk region is about 1 500 billion tons. The principal depositions are attributed to northern lakes of the region. Tests showed that deposits of Tarski, Znamenski and Sargatski districts are the most promising.

Agrochemical parameters of sapropels exstracted from the lake Shishkino Sargatski district of Omsk region. [ more ]

Quality characteristics of natural sapropel extracted from the lake Shishkino. The analyses are carried out by All-Russian Scientific-research institute of poultry breeding ARSRIPB [ more ]