Ti. Moiseenko et al., AIRBORNE CONTAMINATION BY HEAVY-METALS AND ALUMINUM IN THE FRESH-WATER ECOSYSTEMS OF THE KOLA SUB-ARCTIC REGION (RUSSIA), Science of the total environment, 161, 1995, pp. 715-727
Airborne contamination by heavy metals and aluminum in freshwater ecos
ystems of the Kola Peninsula in subarctic Russia has resulted from smo
ke emissions from large plants such as the Severonikel and Pechenganik
el smelters and the Kandalaksha aluminum plant. Negative effects are i
ntensified by acidic precipitation. Nickel is a primary technogenic ef
fluent in surface waters of the Kola North. The area of highest nickel
concentrations in water and lake sediments is limited to a 30-km zone
around the copper-nickel plants; a similar situation exists for coppe
r. Lake acidification increases the concentration of all metals in wat
er, particularly aluminum. During flood times, a redistribution of met
al speciation occurs that increases the concentration of more toxic me
tal species. We determined that there is a high intensity of metal acc
umulation in the organs of fish, and we discovered toxic effects, incl
uding specific pathologies and fish dysfunction. Based on this informa
tion, we estimated the critical levels of metals in freshwater ecosyst
ems of the Kola North.