POLLUTION OF RUSSIAN NORTHERN SEAS BY HEAVY METALS: COMPARISON OF ATMOSPHERIC FLUX AND RIVERS INFLOW

1 Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

2 Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Arkhangelsk, Russia

*anvinograd@yandex.ru

Abstract. The fluxes of anthropogenic heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cu) to the surface of the four seas of the Russian Arctic (the White, Pechora, Kara, and Laptev seas) were estimated using previously calculated concentrations of these elements in the surface atmosphere at some island and continental points. Comparison of the obtained values with the flows of the same components carried by the waters of the rivers flowing into the sea has been carried out. We included the amendments for lead and cadmium atmospheric fluxes to the waters of the White and the Pechora Seas, taking into account the contribution of foreign Europe territory, as well as the contribution of wind raising dust and soil particles in these fluxes, – according to EMER reports. The contributions of the atmosphere are comparable with rivers ones for Pb, Ni, Cu and Cr in the White Sea. The contributions of atmospheric transport of heavy metals to the waters of the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea are small, but may be important for those parts of the Seas where the roles of large Siberian rivers (Ob’, Yenisei, and Lena) are negligible. The contribution of the river channel to heavy metals inflow in sea waters prevails in the rest seas and its parts.

Keywords: the seas of the Russian Arctic, heavy metals, long-range atmospheric transport, fluxes from the atmosphere to the surface, inflow by the rivers waters.

About the authors

VINOGRADOVA Anna A. – Dr. Sci. (Geogr.), leading researcher, Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow, Russia. Tel.: +7 (495) 959-50-76.
E-mail: anvinograd@yandex.ru

KOTOVA Ekaterina I. – Cand. Sci. (Geogr.), senior researcher, Laverov Federal Center of Integrated Arctic Research, Russian Academy of Sciences. Arkhangelsk, Russia. Tel.: +7 (953) 265-24-26. E-mail: ecopp@yandex.ru

Cite this article as: Vinogradova A.A., Kotova E.I. Pollution of Russian Northern seas by heavy metals: Comparison of atmospheric flux and rivers inflow, Geofizicheskie Protsessy i Biosfera (Geophysical Processes and Biosphere), 2019, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 22–32 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.21455/gpb2019.1-3

English version: Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, 2019, vol. 55, iss. 7. ISSN: 0001-4338 (Print), 1555-628X (Online). URL: https://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/11485