Chalcophile elements Hg, Cd, Pb, As in Lake Umbozero, Murmansk Region, Russia

ABSTRACT: Investigations of Lake Umbozero, the second largest and the deepest lake of the Murmansk Region, were carried out to detect and define biogeochemical patterns of distribution of the chalcophile elements (Hg, Cd, Pb, As) in water, sediments and organs and tissues of whitefishes. Lake Umbozero is affected by emissions and effluents from mining and metallurgical enterprises of the Murmansk Region, as well as air pollution of a global character. Surface and near-bottom maxima were found in the distributions of Pb and Cd in the water column. These two maxima appear to be associated with the cyclical growth of phytoplankton in surface water layers and with sedimentation of lifeless organisms and suspended particles in near-bottom layers. Average concentrations of Pb and Cd in the water column were more than the average value for water of lakes of the taiga zone. Pollution of Lake Umbozero led to higher concentrations of heavy metals in upper layers of sediments as compared to deeper layers. Among heavy metals, the highest factors of contamination were found for Cd and Pb. Pollution of the lake by chalcophile elements has also resulted in their accumulation in organs and tissues of whitefish. Values for concentration factors greater than unity were found for Cd in kidney (5.8) and for Hg in kidney, liver and muscle (3.6, 3.3 and 2.2, respectively) of whitefish

Screening studies of POP levels in bottom sediments from selected lakes in the Paz watercourse

Appendix 5/15 of the publication "State of the environment in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian border area 2007" (The Finnish Environment 6/2007)

Screening studies of POP levels in fish from selected lakes in the Paz watercourse

Appendix 8/15 of the publication "State of the environment in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian border area 2007" (The Finnish Environment 6/2007)

State of fish populations in small forest lakes in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian area

Appendix 9/15 of the publication "State of the environment in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian border area 2007" (The Finnish Environment 6/2007)

Distribution of background contents of elements in sediments of Lake Imandra

The background contents of the elements in the sediments of the largest lake of the Murmansk region – Imandra – have been investigated. The background concentrations values of the elements have been determined in the deepest parts of the collected sediment cores. The sedimentation rate in the lakes of North Fennoscandia, including the Murmansk region, is on average 1 mm per year, and the range is between 0.3 and 3 mm/year. The collection of sediment cores 20–25 cm long has been carried out during the study of Lake Imandra. Industrial development of unique deposits of sulfide and apatite-nepheline ores on the watershed of Lake Imandra started in the early 30s of the last century. Consequently, the natural background element contents are fixed in the lower layers of the collected sediment cores. Two groups of elements have been identified by the mathematical statistics methods (correlation and factor analysis): the first group is heavy metals, the second group is alkaline (Na and K) and alkaline-earth metals (Ca, Mg and Sr), Al and P. These elements are in elevated contents in the rock-forming minerals on the catchment area of Lake Imandra: the first group is in the northern part of the catchment area (sulfide copper-nickel ores of Monche Tundra), the second group is in the southeastern part of the catchment area (apatite-nepheline deposits of the Khibiny Alkaline Massif). The largest average background contents of heavy metals (except Co, Pb and As) are noted in the northern part of the Bolshaya Imandra; Ca, Na, Sr, Al and P – in the southern part of the Bolshaya Imandra; Mn – in the Yokostrovskaya Imandra, and Fe – in the Babinskaya Imandra, which is associated with specific conditions for the formation of oxides and hydroxides of these metals in the sediments. The highest background contents of K and Mg are noted in the Babinskaya Imandra, which may be due to the wide distribution of clay minerals with a high content of these metals

The long-term dynamics of hydrochemical indices of low-mineralized subarctic lakes in reducing the acid load

The results of long-term studies (1990–2013) of dynamics of the main hydrochemical indices of the subarctic Shuonijavr Lake located in the zone of airborne pollution from a metallurgical plant have been considered. The following facts have been revealed: significant increase of alkalinity and acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of the lake water; reduction in the range of seasonal fluctuations of ph and alkalinity; reduction of in the lake water during the observation period as a result of reducing the acid load due to the decrease of SO2 emission. Despite the stabilization of the lake water ANC the pollution indicators in six elements of polluters foreground for the region remain high value

Chalcophile elements Hg, Cd, Pb, As in Lake Umbozero, Murmansk Region, Russia

Investigations of Lake Umbozero, the second largest and the deepest lake of the Murmansk Region, were carried out to detect and define biogeochemical patterns of distribution of the chalcophile elements (Hg, Cd, Pb, As) in water, sediments and organs and tissues of whitefishes. Lake Umbozero is affected by emissions and effluents from mining and metallurgical enterprises of the Murmansk Region, as well as air pollution of a global character. Surface and near-bottom maxima were found in the distributions of Pb and Cd in the water column. These two maxima appear to be associated with the cyclical growth of phytoplankton in surface water layers and with sedimentation of lifeless organisms and suspended particles in near-bottom layers. Average concentrations of Pb and Cd in the water column were more than the average value for water of lakes of the taiga zone. Pollution of Lake Umbozero led to higher concentrations of heavy metals in upper layers of sediments as compared to deeper layers. Among heavy metals, the highest factors of contamination were found for Cd and Pb. Pollution of the lake by chalcophile elements has also resulted in their accumulation in organs and tissues of whitefish. Values for concentration factors greater than unity were found for Cd in kidney (5.8) and for Hg in kidney, liver and muscle (3.6, 3.3 and 2.2, respectively) of whitefish

Ecological peculiarities of periphyton and zoobenthos of freshwater ecosystems of the Khibiny massif (the Kola Peninsula)

Freshwater ecosystems of the Khibiny massif have been investigated. The differences in species composition and community structure of zoobenthos and algae periphyton have been revealed depending on the hydrological and geochemical factors as well as the level of anthropogenic impact. The apatite industries waste waters effects on aquatic ecosystems have been analyzed using the "basin approach"; the main factors of the aquatic organisms function in different parts of a particular watershed depending on the type of terrain, the structure of river valleys, vegetation and soil, as well as hydrological and geochemical features have been determined. The ways of transformation of species composition, abundance and taxonomic diversity of aquatic organisms in places of receipt of the apatite mines waters, sewage treatment plants, and flowing wells have been discusse

The status of whitefish population from Chuna Lake in the Lapland Biosphere Reserve Russia

The current state of whitefish population and their organisms have been investigated in subarctic Lake Chuna exposed to long-term air pollution from copper-nickel industry. Both annual and long-term heavy metals and acid oxides loads on the lake have been determined. A qualitative assessment has been made for water and bottom sediments. The investigation results have been compared with those of the archived data (the 1950s -1960s studies) to reveal a number of changes. The lifetime of whitefish has shortened, with early maturity and spawning. Pathological changes of whitefish inner organs occur more frequently. Assessment was made for the Cu and Ni concentrations in whitefish organs and tissues, the seasonal dynamics and peculiarities of metal accumulation in two different species. The revealed changes of the biological constituent of the lake ecosystem alongside with hydro-chemical indices of air-borne load is suggestive of adverse impact of longterm air-borne pollution on the Lake Chuna ecosystem