Sandimirov S.S. Chemical Composition of Bottom Sedimentary Deposits in Lakes in the Zone Impacted by Atmospheric Emissions from Severonickel Plant. Geochemistry International. 2010, Vol. 48, №11, p. 1148-1153.

IS S N 0016-7029, Geochemistry International, 2010, Vol. 48, No. 11, pp. 1148—1153. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2010. Original Russian Text © VA. Dauvalter, M. V. Dauvalter, N A . Koshulin, S.S. Sandimirov, 2010, published in Geokhimiya, 2010, Vol. 48, No. 11, pp. 1224—1229. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS Chemical Composition of Bottom Sedimentary Deposits in Lakes in the Zone Impacted by Atmospheric Emissions from the Severonickel Plant V. A. Dauvalter", M. V. Dauvalter*, N. A. Koshulin", and S. S. Sandimirov" aInstitute o f the Problems o fIndustrial Ecology o f the North, Kola Research Center, Russian Academy o f Sciences, ul. Fersmana 14a, Apatity, Murmansk oblast, 184209 Russia e-mail: Vladimir@inep.ksc.ru bOJSC Kola Geological Information and Analytical Center (KGILTs), ul. Fersmana 26a, Apatity, Murmansk oblast, 184209 Russia Received June 17, 2008 DOI: 10.1134/S0016702910110091 Water bodies are collectors of all types of contami­ nation. Bottom deposits (BD) in water bodies provide a record of fluxes of chemical elements in the bio­ sphere during the historic period [1, 2] and are a source of important information on past climatic, geochemical, and ecological conditions that existed in the drainage area of a given water body and in this water body itself. This information makes it possible to estimate the current ecological conditions of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Chemical composition of BD in lakes occurring in the zone impacted by air pollution by the Severonickel plant (SNP) of the Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company were carried out at the Monchegorsk refer­ ence area (Fig. 1 in [3]. The chemical composition of atmospheric fallouts and surface waters in the area are described in [3, 4]. Our studies were focused on the evaluation of pol­ lution in lakes situated in the influence zone of intense atmospheric pollution by SNP and were based on the results obtained on BD. In order to evaluate the pollution ofwater bodies in the Monchegorsk area and the effect of atmospheric emissions from SNP, we sampled BD in Moncheoz- ero, Malevoe, and Pagel’ lakes, with the sampling sites occurring at distances of 7.5, 9, and 12 km, respec­ tively, from SNP. The methods of sampling and the analytical techniques were described in much detail in [5—7]. Samples of BD were analyzed by atomic absorption for Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Pb, Cd, Hg, and As, which are the major contaminants of atmospheric emissions from SNP. We also determined the concen­ trations of Fe and Mn, which play an important role in the adsorption ofheavy metals in BD. The contamina­ tion of fresh-water ecosystems was evaluated by the method based on determining the contamination coefficient and degree of contamination [8], with this method adapted to environments in the European Subarctic [9]. The contamination coefficient Cf was calculated as the quotient of the concentration of an element in the surface layer of BD (0—1 cm) by the background value in the deepest part of the vertical column of the sediments. The degree of contamina­ tion Cdwas calculated as the sum of all contamination coefficients Cf of chemical elements for a given lake. The morphology, bottom deposits, nourishment, hydrophysics, hydrochemistry, and hydrobiology of lakes in the Monchegorsk district were first examined in detail by the Monchegorsk Limnological Expedi­ tion in 1933 [10]. In all of the examined lakes, the concentrations of the elements increase toward the surface of BD (fig­ ure). The maximum increase in the Ni concentration was detected in Malevoe Lake (table). The Ni concen­ trations in the water of this lake are high (87—270 ^g/l) [3] and are much higher than the maximum permissi­ ble concentration (MPC) for N i (10 ^g/l) in the water of fish-husbandry water bodies (MPCf). A high Ni concentration (169 ^g/l) was also detected in the water of Malevoe Lake on the sampling date of the BD. This metal is delivered to water bodies by the air—anthropogenic transportation of emissions from SNP. A significant increase in Ni concentrations was also detected in the uppermost layers of BD in Moncheozero and Pagel’ lakes (table). The BD of twenty lakes in the zone affected by atmospheric emis­ sions from the Pechenganickel plant have Ni concen­ trations of 19—6139 ^g/l (average 1071 ^g/l) in the upper layers [11]. Ni concentrations of >1000 ^g/l were found in BD within 10 km from the smelter of Pechenganickel. Analogous trends were also detected in the zone affected by atmospheric emissions from SNP. The impact of atmospheric emissions from a copper smelter in the township of Karabash in Chely- 1148