HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN THE TAIMYR PENINSULA, SIBERIAN ARCTIC

• Main Authors: S AllenGil, J Ford, B Lasorsa, M Monetti, T Vlasova, D Landers
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Arctic; Norilsk; Dicrostonyx torquatus; norilsk; Taimyr; lota
• Online Access: http://oaspub.epa.gov/eims/eimsapi.dispdetail?deid=65224

The Taimyr Peninsula is directly north of the world's largest heavy metal smelting complex (Norilsk, Russia). Despite this proximity, there has been little research to examine the extent of contamination of the Taimyr Peninsula, primarily because of the remoteness of this area. We analyzed heavy metal concentrations in lake sediments, soils, lichen (Centraria cucullata) and moss (Hylocomium splendens), three freshwater fish (Salve/inus a/pinus, Lota iota and Coregonus spp.) and collared lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus) from a total of 13 sites ranging from 30 to 300 km from Norilsk. Element concentrations are low in both C. cucullata and H splendens. Enrichment factor analysis of lichens and moss indicated that arsenic (As) and vanadium (V) are primarily derived from Soils (i.e. substrate) whereas copper (Cu), nickel ~i), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and especially cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) have a significant atmospheric component. A lake sediment core from the eastern Taimyr Peninsula indicated no recent enrichment by atmospherically transported elements. Tissue concentrations of heavy metals in fish and lemming were not elevated relative to other arctic sites. Our results show that the impact of the Norilsk smelting complex is localized, rather than regional, and does not extend northward beyond 100 km.