Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geochemistry of Lakes in a Zone Impacted by an Arctic Iron-Producing Enterprise

  • Published:
Geochemistry International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper presents data on the chemical composition of waters and bottom sediments in lakes variably affected by liquid wastes from facilities of the Olkon Joint-Stock Company in Olenegorst, Murmansk oblast, which mines and processes iron ores. Since Olkon started operating, the composition of water in nearby water bodies has underwent significant changes. The mineralization (TDS) and pH of the lacustrine waters have increased (to 100 mg/L and 7.6 respectively). The qualitative composition of the water has also changed (the water type has changed from hydrocarbonate to sulfate), as also have the proportions of the dominant cations. The waters of the lakes have enriched in nitrogen-group compounds. The \({\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }\) concentrations in some of the lakes are higher than the concentrations of the dominant ions (Na+, K+, and Cl–) recalculated into equivalent concentrations. The inflow of contaminants with the waste waters has suppressed biological productivity and reduced concentrations of organic compounds in the lacustrine waters. The waters of the lakes that received waste waters form the iron-producing facilities contain the highest Ni, Cu, Co, Al, and Sr concentrations, whereas the Fe concentrations are the lowest, which is reportedly explained by a decrease in the concentrations of organic compounds and an increase in pH of the lacustrine waters (and a corresponding decrease in the Fe solubility). The paper reports data on the speciation of metals in the lacustrine waters: Fe and Cu occur in them mostly in compounds with organic ligands Fe(III)–L and Cu(II)–L; Mn is contained as Mn(II)–\({\text{SO}}_{4}^{{2 - }}\)/Cl–/OH– compounds; and Ni, Co, and Zn form compounds with hydroxyl groups Ni(II)–OH, Co(II)–OH, and Zn(II)–OH. Concentrations of heavy metals in the lacustrine bottom sediments depend on the dominant form of their occurrence in the waters. The surface layers of the bottom sediments are significantly enriched in heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Co, Cd, Pb, As, Hg, Fe, and Mn), which are tens of times higher than the background concentrations. The highest values of the contamination factor (Cf) and degree of contamination (Cd) were found in the lakes contaminated with waste waters from the facilities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Atlas of Murmansk Area (Murmansk, 1971) [in Russian].

  2. M. M. Bazova, “Specifics of the elemental composition of waters in environments with operating mining and ore-processing plants in the Kola North,” Geochem. Int. 55 (1), 131–143 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. A. A. Beus, L. I. Grabovskaya, and N. V. Tikhonova, Environmental Geochemistry (Nedra, Moscow, 1976) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  4. V. A. Dauvalter, Geoecology of Bottom Deposits of Lakes (Murm. Gos. Tekhn. Univ., Murmansk, 2012) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  5. V. A. Dauvalter and B. P. Ilyashuk, “Conditions of formation of ferromanganese nodules in the bottom sediments of lakes in the Baltic Shield,” Geochem. Int. 45 (6), 615–619 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. V. A. Dauvalter and N. A. Kashulin, “Assessment of the ecological state of the Arctic freshwater system based on concentrations of heavy metals in the bottom sediments,” Geochem. Int. 56 (8), 842–856 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. V. A. Dauvalter and N. A. Kashulin, “Mercury pollution of Lake Imandra sediments, Murmansk Region, Russia,” Int. J. Env. Res. 12 (6), 939–953 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. V. A. Dauvalter, M. V. Dauvalter, N. V. Saltan, and E. N. Semenov, “The chemical composition of surface water in the influence zone of the Severonikel Smelter,” Geochem. Int. 47 (6), 592–610 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. V. A. Dauvalter, M. V. Dauvalter, N. A. Kashulin, and S. S. Sandimirov, “Chemical composition of bottom sedimentary deposits in lakes in the zone impacted by atmospheric emissions from the Severonickel Plant,” Geochem. Int. 48 (11), 1148–1153 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. V. A. Dauvalter, N. A. Kashulin, and D. B. Denisov, “Trends of heavy metal variations in the bottom sediments of Lakes of Northern Fennoscandia in last centuries,” Tr. Karel’sk. Nauchn. Ts. Ross. Akad. Nauk 9, 62–75 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  11. M. I. Dinu, Influence of Functional Features of Humus Matters on the Metal Speciation in Natural Waters (Tyum. Gos. Univ., Tyumen, 2012) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  12. M. I. Dinu, “Formation of organic substances of humus nature and their biospheric properties,” Geochem. Int. 55 (10), 911–926 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. D. Gregurek, F. Melcher, V. A. Pavlov, C. Reimann, and E. F. Stumpf, “Mineralogy and mineral chemistry of snow filter residues in the vicinity of the nickel-copper processing industry, Kola Peninsula, NW Russia,” Mineral. Petrol. 65, 87–111 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. L. Håkanson, “An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control—a sedimentological approach,” Water Res.14, 975–1001 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Intercomparison-2016 1630: pH, Conductivity, Alkalinity, NO3-N, Cl, SO4, Ca, Mg, Na, K, TOC, Al, Fe, Mn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni and Zn. ICP Waters Report 129/2016.(Norwegian Institute for Water Research, 2016), No. 7081.

  16. G. V. Kalabin, A. E. Vorob’ev, A. V. Dzhanyants, and M. G. Salazkin, “Study of anthropogenic impact of iron quarries of European Russia on the environment,” Gorn. Inform.-Analit. Byull. 12, 8–13 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  17. N. A. Kashulin, S. S. Sandimirov, V. A. Dauvalter, L. P. Kudryavtsev, P. M. Terent’ev, D. B. Denisov, O. I. Vandysh, and S. A. Val’kova, Annotated Ecological Catalogue of Lakes of the Murmansk Area (Eastern Part. White Sea Basin) (Kol’sk. Nauch. Ts., Apatity. 2012) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  18. N. A. Kashulin, V. A. Dauvalter, D. B. Denisov, S. A. Valkova, O. I. Vandysh, P. M. Terentjev, and A. N. Kashulin, “Selected aspects of the current state of freshwater resources in the Murmansk Region, Russia,” J. Environ. Sci. Heal. A. 52 (9), 921–929 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. S. N. Kolmykov, Extended Abstract of Candidate’s Dissertation in Geography (Belgorod, 2008) [in Russian]

  20. L. N. Larichev, and V. V. Cheskidov, “Study of behavior and fixation forms of element pollutants in the bottom sediments of the surface water objects of the mining lease of the Lebedinsky MPP,” Gorn. Inform.-Analit. Byull. 11, 286–299 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  21. P. A. Lozovik, and N. E. Galakhina, “Chemical variations of water of the Kenti River system in response to anthropogenic impact,” Tr. Karel’sk. Nauch. Ts. Ross. Akad. Nauk 3, 21–35 (2017).

    Google Scholar 

  22. D. N. Malinovsky, I. V. Rodyushkin, E. P. Shcherbakova, C. Ponter, B. Öhlander, and J. Ingri, “Fractionation of Fe isotopes as a result of redox processes in a basin,” Geochem. Int. 43 (8), 797–803 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  23. A. V. Maslennikova, V. N. Udachin, and V. N. Deryagin, Paleoecology and Geochemistry of the Holocene Lacustrine Sedimentation of the Urals (RIO UrO RAN, Yekaterinburg, 2014) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  24. Mineral Deposits (Nedra, Moscow, 1981) [in Russian].

  25. T. I. Moiseenko, “Impact of geochemical factors of aquatic environment on the metal bioaccumulation in fish,” Geochem. Int. 53(3), 213–223 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. T. I. Moiseenko and N. A. Gashkina, Formation of the Chemical Composition of Lacustrine Waters under Environmetal Changes (Nauka, Moscow, 2010) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  27. T. I. Moiseenko, M. I. Dinu, N. A. Gashkina, and T. A. Kremleva, “Occurrence forms of metals in natural waters depending on water chemistry,” Water Res. 40 (4), 407–416 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. T. I. Moiseenko, V. A. Dauvalter, A. A. Lukin, L. P. Kkudryavtseva, B. P. Ilyashuk. S. S. Sandimirov, L. Ya. Kagan, O. I. Vandysh, A. N. Sharov, Yu. N. Sharova, and I. M. Koroleva, Anthropogenic Modifications of the Lake Imandra Ecosystem (Nauka, Moscow, 2002) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  29. Yu. N. Neradovsky, V. A. Dauvalter, and E. E. Savchenko, “Genesis of framboidal pyrite in the modern lacustrine sediments (Kola Peninsula),” Zap. Ross. Mineral. O-va 6, 50–55 (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  30. A. M. Nikanorov, Hydrochemistry (Gidrometeoizdat, St. Petersburg, 2001) [in Russian].

    Google Scholar 

  31. Olenegorsk MMP. http://olcon.ru/ cited November 2, 2018.

  32. P. M. Outridge, G. A. Stern, P. B. Hamilton, J. B. Percival, R. McNeely, and W. L. Lockhart, “Trace metal profiles in the varved sediment of an Arctic lake,” Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 69 (20), 4881–4894 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2005.06.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. J. M. Pacyna and E. G. Pacyna, “An assessment of global and regional emissions of trace elements to the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources worldwide,” Environ. Rev. 4, 269–298 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. R. A. Popkov, Extended Abstract of Candidate’s Dissertation in Geography (Kursk, 2008) [in Russian].

  35. I. Renberg, M.-L. Brännvall, R. Bindler, and O. Emteryd, “Stable lead isotopes and lake sediments – a useful combination for the study of atmospheric lead pollution history,” Sci. Total Environ. 292, 45–54 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. I. V. Rodyushkin, Extended Abstract of Candidate’s Dissertation in Geography (St. Petersburg, 1995) [in Russian].

  37. Textbook on the Chemical Composition of Continental Surface Waters (Gidrometeoizdat, Leningrad, 1977) [in Russian].

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author thanks Dr. M.I. Dinu (Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences) for analysis of metals speciation in lake waters and the staff of the Laboratory of Ecosystems at the Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems, Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, for conducting the fieldwork and chemical analyses.

Funding

This study was carried out under government-financed research project 0226-2019-0045 (field works) and was partly supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project nos. 18-05-60125 (chemical analyses) and 18-05-00897 and the Russian Science Foundation, project no. 19-77-10007 (the speciation of metals in waters).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems, Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 184209, Apatity, Russia

    V. A. Dauvalter

Authors
  1. V. A. Dauvalter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. A. Dauvalter.

Additional information

Translated by E. Kurdyukov

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dauvalter, V.A. Geochemistry of Lakes in a Zone Impacted by an Arctic Iron-Producing Enterprise. Geochem. Int. 58, 933–946 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702920080042

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702920080042

Keywords:

Search

Navigation