Trace element fractions in sediments of urbanised lakes of the arctic zone of Russia.

This paper presents the comprehensive evaluation of the level of accumulation of some of the most dangerous environmental pollutants (V, Co, Sn, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn) and analyses their chemical forms in sediments of four small lakes located within Murmansk urban territory. Furthermore, the authors first studied morphology and chemical composition of industrial dust collected from the snow covering the ice of Lake Srednee. Fieldwork was carried out in April 2019.

Selected aspects of the current state of freshwater resources in the Murmansk region, Russia.

Aspects of reducing the resource potential of surface waters of the Murmansk region in the global climate change and the environment and their irrational use have been considered. Increase of aquatic environment toxicity, drastic restructuring of the structural and functional characteristics of aquatic communities, changes in trophic status of lakes, reducing the stability of freshwater ecosystems, increasing the risk of catastrophic degradation have been shown. Taking into account the regional peculiarities, some indicators of surface water quality in the Murmansk region have been proposed.

Spatial trends of trace-element contamination in recently deposited lake sediment around the Ni-Cu smelter at Nikel, Kola Peninsula, Russian Arctic.

A large copper-nickel smelter complex is located at the Kole Penninsula, Russia, close to the Norwegian border. Trace-element concentrations in surface sediments (0-0.5 cm) and pre-industrial sediments from 45 lakes in the region were used to uncover spatial deposition patterns and contamination factor of sediments.

Chemical composition of lake sediments along a pollution gradient in a Subarctic watercourse.

Sediment cores were collected from seven lakes in the Subarctic Pasvik watercourse, polluted by sewage waters and air emissions from the Pechenganickel Metallurgical Company, in order to study chemical composition and estimate the intensity of pollution by taking into account background concentration of elements and the vertical and spatial distribution of their contents in cores and surficial layers of sediments. Sediment samples were analysed by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry for 18 elements (Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, As, Cr, Sr, Mn, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Al, P). Maximum concentrations of all investigated heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, As) were found in the surficial sediment layers of Lake Kuetsjarvi situated directly below the metallurgic smelters.

Heavy metal contents in whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) along a pollution gradient in a subarctic watercourse.

Metallurgic industry is a source of serious environmental pollution related to the emission of heavy metals. Freshwater systems are focal points for pollution, acting as sinks for contaminants that may end up in fish and humans. The Pasvik watercourse in the border area between Finland, Norway and Russia is located in the vicinity of the Pechenganickel metallurgic enterprises, and the lower part of the watershed drains the Nikel smelters directly through Lake Kuetsjarvi.

Impact of mining and refining on the distribution and accumulation of nickel and other heavy metals in sediments of subarctic Lake Kuetsjärvi, Murmansk Region, Russia.

Research on the influence of the activities of Pechenganickel Mining and Metallurgical Company on sediment heavy-metal geochemistry of the subarctic Lake Kuetsjärvi (north-western Russia) are described. It is estimated that during 60 years of mining/refining activity, 310 t of Ni, 120 t of Cu, 14 t of Co, 19 t of Zn, 0.087 t of Cd, 0.

Assessment of copper-nickel industry impact on a subarctic lake ecosystem.

The Kuetsjärvi lake ecosystem has been subject to intensive pollution generated by the Pechenganickel Company activities for more than 50 years. This article considers the effects of emissions from the copper-nickel smelter, that uses out-of-date technology, on a subarctic lake ecosystem. Six years of investigations revealed changes occurring at all ecosystem levels.