Mineralogy and mineral chemistry of snow filter residues in the vicinity of the nickel-copper processing industry, Kola Peninsula, NW Russia

Fifteen snow samples were collected at the end of the 1995/96 winter in the vicinity (1.5-8km) of the copper-nickel processing plants at Zapoljarnij, Nikel and Monchegorsk on the Kola Peninsula, NW Russia. Polished sections w ere made from the snow filter residues for microscopic and qualitative and quantitative electron microprobe investigations. Particles in snow are deri ved from either geogenic(1) or technogenic sources(2). Ore particles from t wo different Ni-Cu deposits can be identified in the snow: i) local Pecheng a ore and ii) imported ore from Norilsk-Talnakh. Technogenic particles cons ist of a wide spectrum of sulphides (Ni-Cu-Fe-Co), oxides (Fe-Ni-Cu), metal lic phases and alloys (Ni-Cu-Fe-Co), as well as slag particles and coke. Di fferences in the processing technologies used in the three plants (e.g. roa sting, smelting to Cu-Ni matte, converting, refining) can be deduced from t he mineralogy of the particulate emissions. The mineralogy of particulate m atter in snow is characteristic for each emitter and can thus be used to fi ngerprint different sources. PGE-bearing sulphides (pentlandite with 0.2-0. 3 wt% Pd) have been observed in the particulate emissions from Zapoljarnij and discrete PGE-phases at Monchegorsk.