Assessing pollution in the Kola river, northwestern Russia, using metal concentrations in water and bryophytes

Intensive Cu-Ni and Fe mining and smelting in northwestern Russia constitutes a potential risk of pollution in the Kola River. We assessed the degree of pollution along the Kola River by means of overall water quality evaluation and analysis of metals in water samples (dissolved and particulate fractions) and aquatic mosses. The observed pollutant levels were compared with those in the unpolluted reference rivers. The results indicate relatively low overall contamination in the Kola River, although Cu and Ni levels are elevated relative to the reference data. Furthermore, PCA ordination models identified clear metal concentration patterns along the river. Al, Cd, Co, Fe, Pb and Zn exhibited an almost continuous increase from the headwaters to the river mouth, whereas As, Ba, Cu, Mn and Ni showed their highest concentrations in the headwaters, close to the mining areas, relatively low concentrations in the middle parts of the river and elevated concentrations at the river mouth. Bryophyte analysis appeared to be more sensitive tool for metal pollution assessment than metal concentrations in the river

High spatial resolution analysis of ferromanganese concretions by LA-ICP-MS†

A procedure was developed for the determination of element distributions in cross-sections of ferromanganese concretions using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The effects of carrier flow rates, rf forward power, ablation energy, ablation spot size, repetition rate and number of shots per point on analyte intensity were studied. It is shown that different carrier gas flow rates are required in order to obtain maximum sensitivities for different groups of elements, thus complicating the optimisation of ICP parameters. On the contrary, LA parameters have very similar effects on almost all elements studied, thus providing a common optimum parameter set for the entire mass range. However, for selected LA parameters, the use of compromise conditions was necessary in order to compensate for relatively slow data acquisition by ICP-MS and maintain high spatial resolution without sacrificing the multielemental capabilities of the technique. Possible variations in ablation efficiency were corrected for mathematically using the sum of Fe and Mn intensities. Quantification by external calibration against matrix-matched standards was successfully used for more than 50 elements. These standards, in the form of pressed pellets (no binder), were prepared in-house using ferromanganese concentrates from a deep-sea nodule reference material as well as from shallow-marine concretions varying in size and having different proportions of three major phases: aluminosilicates, Fe- and Mn-oxyhydroxides. Element concentrations in each standard were determined by means of conventional solution nebulisation ICP-MS following acid digestion. Examples of selected inter-element correlations in distribution patterns along the cross-section of a concretion are given

Proterozoic molybdenite mineralization in northern Sweden

Godkänd; 1983; 20070424 (ysko

Using residues from other industries for stabilisation of sulphidic-bearing mine waste : solving two waste problems at the same time

Godkänd; 2014; 20141218 (makmar

Geochemistry of the tailings - pond water interface in the flooded tailings pond at Stekenjokk, northern Sweden

Godkänd; 2000; 20080227 (ysko)</p