Assessment of water quality and the impact of mining and smelting activities on the water courses of the Paz river basin

Appendix 1/15 of the publication "State of the environment in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian border area 2007" (The Finnish Environment 6/2007)

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

Heavy metals from the Nikel area Investigation in Kolosjoki river 1995, Kola Peninsula, Russia

A cooperative project between INEP, MUGMS and NIVA to identify the main sources of heavy metals pollution in the Nikel area has been performed. The assessment of pollution load on the river system from mine drainage and from industrial discharges was also an objective. Data from field work in 1995 combined with data from MUGMS have shown that the main pollution comes from industrial sites within Nikel. The significance of drainage from mines has been documented, and it is also shown that airborne deposition gives a contribution to the load of heavy metals. Concentrations of nickel in the main river vary between 20 and 1000 µg/l. Transport of nickel in Kolosjoki river downstream the town of Nikel is about 40 tons/year