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The Effect of Accidental Spill of Diesel Fuel in Noril’sk on Hydrocarbon Concentrations and Composition in Bottom Sediments

  • HYDROCHEMISTRY, HYDROBIOLOGY: ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
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Abstract

Studying bottom sediments of the Norilsk–Pyasina water system (July 29–August 13, 2020) showed that water pollution caused by an accidental spill at HPP-3 PJSC “MMC “Norilsk Nickel” on May 29, 2020, had propagated downstream the river over 31 km and had not reached Lake Pyasino and, the more so, the Kara Sea. The mean concentration of aliphatic hydrocarbons in sediments decreased in the series, µg/g: the mouth of the Ambarnaya R. (1914, σ = 3428) > the Bezymyannyi Cr.–the Daldykan R.–the Ambarnaya R. (1000, σ = 1351) > the Pyasina R. (27, σ = 17) > Lake Pyasino (15, σ = 6). The composition of aliphatic hydrocarbons in bottom sediments did not correspond to the hydrocarbon composition of diesel fuel even in the most heavily polluted regions because of transformations of alkanes. The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons also rapidly decreased with the distance from the pollution source (from 3865 to 56 ng/g). At the same time, naphthalene (indicator of petroleum origin of hydrocarbons) accounted for 46–53% of the total. Naphthalene dominated in precipitation not only in the Ambarnaya and Daldykan rivers, but also the Norilka R. and the mouth of the Pyasina R., which may be due to other sources of soil pollution (erosion of coastal deposits, spent barrels of petroleum, oil, and lubricants, water transport, etc).

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Funding

The results of the study were obtained under governmental orders (project 122011200369-1) using the scientific equipment of the Center for Collective Use of the FRC YSC SB RAS within the framework of grant no. 13.TsKP.21.0016 with financial support of JSC Norilsk-Taimyr Power Company, contract 223-EP-2020/08 with SB RAS; the analyses were made under the Governmental Order of the RF Ministry of Education and Science, subject FMWE-2021-0006; the preparation for publication was supported by the Russia Science Foundation, project 19-17-00234-P.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997, Moscow, Russia

    I. A. Nemirovskaya

  2. Institute of Oil and Gas Problems, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 677980, Yakutsk, Russia

    Yu. S. Glyaznetsova

Authors
  1. I. A. Nemirovskaya
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  2. Yu. S. Glyaznetsova
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Correspondence to I. A. Nemirovskaya or Yu. S. Glyaznetsova.

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Translated by G. Krichevets

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Nemirovskaya, I.A., Glyaznetsova, Y.S. The Effect of Accidental Spill of Diesel Fuel in Noril’sk on Hydrocarbon Concentrations and Composition in Bottom Sediments. Water Resour 49, 1027–1039 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0097807822060100

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