HEAVY METALS IN SOILS OF EURO-ARCTIC TERRITORIES

The features of metals accumulation by the Arctic soils are analyzed. The data of a comparative analysis of content of total and metal mobile forms in natural and anthropogenic soils in the Euro-Arctic region are presented. The following areas were studied: Frans Joseph Land, Spitsbergen, Solovetsky, Novaya Zemlya, Kolguev Island, cape Kanin Nos, Varnek, Sosnovets Island. The chemical analysis was carried out with the use of modern instrumental methods and certified methods: by X-ray fluorescence and atomic absorption methods. The degree of soil contamination was assessed by the maximum permissible concentrations exceeding and biogeochemical coefficients. Analysis of the experimental data has shown that metals accumulation by different types of soils is ambiguous: zinc and lead predominate in the arctic and tundra bog soils, manganese and cobalt in the non-gley and gley tundra soils, and cobalt and lead in the podzolic and alluvial meadow soils. Correlation analysis revealed the dependence of the metals accumulation with such physicochemical parameters as the content of physical clay, organic matter and the pH of the soil solution. According to the total pollution index (Zc), calculated related to clark, a dangerous level of contamination have the Arctic soils of Pyramid settlement, tundra non-gley soils of cape Belyy Nose, alluvial meadow acidic soils of Dixon settlement and peat soils of Sosnowiec Island. Tundra gley soils in Cape Kanin Nos have a moderately dangerous level of pollution. At the same time, the soils have an acceptable level of contamination with metals mobile forms. Practically all of the examined elements are represented by non-mobile forms, which are confirmed by the high value of the protective soils coefficients.