Environ. Sci. Technol. 2000, 34, 2727-2732
Impacts of Airborne Contamination on Regional Soil and Water Quality: The Kola Peninsula, Russia CLEMENS REIMANN,* DAVID BANKS,† AND PATRICE DE CARITAT‡ Geological Survey of Norway, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Regional geochemical mapping of 188 000 km2 in the European Arctic demonstrates that long-range atmospheric transport of heavy metal pollution from industrial emitters on the Kola Peninsula (nickel smelters, roasting plant, and refinery at Nikel, Zapoljarnij, and Monchegorsk, Russia) currently does not seem to present a major environmental threat on a regional scale, with the majority of heavy metal emissions being deposited as particulates near the sources. Furthermore, no regional impact of acid rain can, as yet, be observed in the distributions of pH, alkalinity, and sulfur in humus, mineral soils, or lake water. Largescale natural phenomena (e.g., displacement of protons from the organic soil layer by input of marine cations) appear to be more important for the regional distribution of pH in humus and surface waters than input of sulfur (acid rain). The importance of documenting and understanding the regional significance and scale of geochemical processes before initiating environmental monitoring or detailed investigations on a very local (e.g., catchment) scale is underlined by these results. Emission of basic particles from industry seems to counteract to a large extent environmental acidification, and this should be taken into account when devising emission control procedures.
Introduction From 1992 to 1998, the Geological Surveys of Finland (GTK) and Norway (NGU) and the Central Kola Expedition (CKE), Russia, carried out a large, international multi-medium, multi-element geochemical mapping project. The survey area, covering 188 000 km2 north of the Arctic Circle (Figure 1), comprises the entire region between 24° and 35.5° E up to the Barents Sea coast. Results of the Kola Ecogeochemistry Project (see http://www.ngu.no/Kola) are documented in (among other publications) a geochemical atlas (1). There, a complete description of the project background, area, bedrock geology, Quaternary geology, vegetation, soil formation processes, climate, human activities, trade and industry, and sampling and analytical techniques can be found. The project area is dominated by great contrasts. It comprises nearly pristine environments in northern Finland and regions receiving some of the highest heavy metal and * Corresponding author phone: +47 73 904 321; fax: +47 73 921 620; e-mail:
[email protected]. † Present address: Holymoor Consultancy, 86 Holymoor Road, Holymoorside, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S42 7DX, U.K. ‡ Present address: CRC LEME, c/o Australian Geological Survey Organisation, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. 10.1021/es9912933 CCC: $19.00 Published on Web 06/06/2000
2000 American Chemical Society
FIGURE 1. Ecogeochemistry Kola Project study area. Shown are the project boundary, the coast lines of Barents Sea and White Sea, major lakes, roads, and the most important cities. The locations of the main sources of atmospheric pollution are marked in capital letters. The most important (emission figures are given in ref 17) are Monchegorsk (Ni refinery), Nikel (Ni smelter), and Zapoljarnij (Ni/Cu ore-roasting plant) followed by Apatity (coal-fired power plant, apatite processing plant), Kandalaksha (Al smelter), Kirkenes, Norway (iron ore mine and processing plant), Kirovsk (open pit apatite mine), Kovdor iron ore and apatite mines and processing plants, and Olenegorsk: (iron ore mine and processing). sulfur depositions in the world (2). The emissions originate from several point-source emitters in the Russian part of the project area (the nickel smelter at Nikel, the ore roasting plant at Zapoljarnij, and the nickel refinery at Monchegorsk, see Figure 1). Bedrock lithologies present in the area range from ultrabasic to acidic rocks and include some rather unusual alkaline intrusions. A multitude of mineral occurrences is known throughout the area, of which nickel-copper, iron, and gold as well as apatite-nephelinite deposits are currently mined. Three major vegetation zones exist from north to south (alpine and subarctic tundra, subarctic birch forest, northern boreal forestssee map in ref 3). Coastal zones as well as continental inland regions are represented in the project area. Precipitation is low in the survey areason average
