Sandimirov. S. Pasvik Water Quality Report. Environmental Monitoring Programme in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian Border Area. Finland, Kuopio: Kopijyva Oy. 2011, №7, p.27-34.

pH meq/l 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 Figure 7. pH and alkalinity. Alkalinity and pH-factor The Kuetsjarvi Lake w a te r belongs to a neutral w a te r type, changing during the entire period of obse rva tions w ithin the limits o f 6,71-7,42, and averaging 7,13 units. No regularities of change in pH fa cto r over the w a te r area o f the lake or by hydrological seasons have been observed (Figure 7). A decrease in average yearly values o f pH in 2005 and in 2009 occurred due to wa te r sampling during flooding, when pH values decrease on average to 6,71 units. During this period, acidified melt wa te r accesses the lake from all over the ca tchmen t area. A lka lin ity in the lake varies within the limits o f 1 8 0 -3 5 9 j e q l -1 (Figure 7). Copper and nickel The discharge of the waste water of industrial companies, containing considerable amounts of pollutants, led to the fact that currently the content o f these elements in the Kuetsjarvi Lake exceeds the accepted conventional background values. Copper and nickel are the basic components of waste water of the copper-nickel smelter of Pechenganikel. The waste water from this company access the Lake Kuetsjarvi, which is located in the lower reaches of the Pasvik watercourse. From there, the polluting substances are taken further along the river water area by river currents. in 2003 -2009 , the concentration of Cu in various parts of the lake varied from 6,3 to 18,1 j g l -1, making an average of 10,0 j g l -1 (Figure 8). Concentrations of Cu throughout the lake do not differ significantly due to the atmospheric input. The maximum concentration of Ni for fishery waters is 10 j g l -1. The highest concentrations o f this element in the Lake Kuetsjarvi are observed in the bottom layers - up to 182 j g l -1. Higher values in the spring­ time are stipulated by the increase of pollutants with melt water during the flooding period. As a whole for the entire lake, the content of Ni currently varies within the limits of 74-182 j g l -1 (Figure 8), making on average 120 j g l -1, which significantly exceeds the MACfishery. The content of Ni in the discharge from the Lake Kuetsjarvi varies within the limits of 77­ 180 j g l -1, averaging 115 jg /l. Compared to the 1990s, the current (2009) average yearly concen­ trations of Ni in Lake Kuetsjarvi have increased from 70 to 132 j g l -1, i.e. almost doubling. The content of Fe in the spring period exceeds the MACfishery valid in Russia (100 j g l -1) due to significant increase of Fe from the catchment area, up to 520 j g l -1. In the summer-autumn period the distribution of Fe over the lake averages 82 j g l -1. The concentrations of other metals remain within back-ground levels. The input of these in the waste water discharge is rather insignificant (Figure 9). 0 The maximum concentrations of Cu acceptable in Russia for fishery waters is 1 j g l -1. The average concentration of Cu in the Kuetsjarvi Lake exceeds this limit (MACfishery). During the study conducted 32 | Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Lapland, Publications 7/2011