The Geochemistry of Snow Cover in Nizhnevartovsk

About the authors:

Roman Yu. Pozhitkov, Master Student, Department of Social and Economic Geography and Nature Management, University of Tyumen; pozhitkov-roma@yandex.ru

Dmitrii V. Moskovchenko, Dr. Sci. (Geogr.), Head of the Geoecology Sector, Tyumen Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Lead Research Associate, Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), University of Tyumen; moskovchenko1965@gmail.com

Aleksandr A. Kudryavtsev, Cand. Sci. (Phys.-Math.), Analytic, Agrobiotechnology Center, Northern Trans-Ural State Agricultural University (Tyumen); kudrphys55@mail.ru

Abstract:

This article analyzes the particulate and dissolved concentrations of metals as well as the pH and conductivity in snow samples collected in Nizhnevartovsk (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia).

This study aims to investigate the sources of atmospheric pollution and to estimate the city’s ecological state. The authors have analyzed metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Fe, Mn, Cr, and Ni) in the snowmelt filtrates and snow dust using atomic absorption spectrometry. Urban snow samples have shown raised pH and conductivity values. The soluble metals predominate in the background area; the particulate phase increases on the territory of the city. The particulate phase of urban snow are highly (10-50 times) enriched in Mn, Ni, Fe, and Zn. A large number of particulate metals strongly correlate with each other (r > 0.7), which refers to their common origin — the mineral part of soils. Mn and Fe in high concentrations have been brought with soil dust.

The present study demonstrates significant atmospheric input of trace elements and iron to the urban snow. The level of pollution on the territory of Nizhnevartovsk can be defined as high and dangerous. However, there has been a positive trend. Trace-metal concentrations, measured in snow samples from the 2016 season, were generally lower than concentrations in snow from 2009-2010. A low lead content in the snow of Nizhnevartovsk was noted in comparison with the data of the 1990s as a result of using unleaded petrol.

References:

1. Antonovich V. V., Belan B. D., Vaver V. I. et al. 2000. ”Otsenka kachestva vozdukha neftegazodobyvayushchikh rayonov” [Assessment of Air Quality in Oil and Gas Producing Areas]. In: Issledovaniya ekologo-geograficheskikh problem prirodopol'zovaniya dlya obespecheniya territorial'noy organizatsii i ustoychivosti razvitiya neftegazovykh regionov Rossii: Teoriya, metody i praktika, pp. 216-220. Nizhnevartovsk: NGPI, KHMRO RAYEN, IOA SO RAN
2. Bolshunova T. S. 2015. “Otsenka stepeni transformatsii prirodnoy sredy v rayonakh neftegazodobyvayushchego kompleksa Tomskoy oblasti po dannym izucheniya snegovogo pokrova i lishaynikov-epifitov [Estimation of the Degree of Transformation of the Environment in the Areas of the Oil and Gas Production Complex of the Tomsk Region According to the Data on the Study of Snow Cover and Lichen Epiphytes]. Cand. Sci. (Geol.-Mineral.) diss. Tomsk: Tomsk National Research Polytechnic University.
3. Gracheva I. V. 2011. “Geoekologiya snegovogo pokrova urbanizirovannykh territoriy severnoy lesostepi Yuzhnogo Urala” [Geoecology of the Snow Cover of Urbanized Territories of the Northern Forest-Steppe of the Southern Urals]. Cand. Sci. (Geogr.) diss. Saint Petersburg: Saint Petersburg University.
4. Grebenyuk G. N. 2009. “Issledovaniye dinamiki klimata po meteoelementam pogody (na primere goroda Nizhnevartovska)” [Investigation of Climate Dynamics by Weather Meteorological Elements (On the Example of Nizhnevartovsk)]. Vestnik NVGU, no 1, pp. 19-27.
5. Sluzhba po kontrolyu i nadzoru v sfere okhrany okruzhayushchey sredy, ob’yektov zhivotnogo mira i lesnykh otnosheniy Khanty-Mansiyskogo avtonomnogo okruga — Yugry. 2016. “Doklad ‘Ob ekologicheskoy situatsii v Khanty-Mansiyskom avtonomnom okruge — Yugre v 2015 godu’” [Report: Environmental Conditions of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District — Yugra in 2015]. Khanty-Mansiysk.
6. Sluzhba po kontrolyu i nadzoru v sfere okhrany okruzhayushchey sredy, ob’yektov zhivotnogo mira i lesnykh otnosheniy Khanty-Mansiyskogo avtonomnogo okruga — Yugry. 2017. “Doklad ‘Ob ekologicheskoy situatsii v Khanty-Mansiyskom avtonomnom okruge — Yugre v 2016 godu’” [Report: Environmental Conditions of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District — Yugra in 2016]. Khanty-Mansiysk.
7. Dorozhukova S. L. 2004. “Ekologo-geokhimicheskiye osobennosti neftegazodobyvayushchikh rayonov Tyumenskoy oblasti” [Ecological and Geochemical Features of Oil and Gas Producing Areas of the Tyumen Region]. Cand. Sci. (Geol.-Mineral.) diss. Moscow: IMGRE.
8. Ivanov V. B., Mukhametdinova E. A., Korolik V. S. 2010. “Raspredeleniye zagryazneniya tyazhelymi metallami v snezhnom pokrova g. Nizhnevartovsk” [Allocations of Heavy Metal Pollution in the Snow Cover of Nizhnevartovsk City]. Tyumen State University Herald. Natural Resource Use and Ecology, no 3, pp. 148-153
9. Kasimov N. S., Kosheleva N. Ye, Vlasov D. V., Terskaya Ye. V. 2012. “Geokhimiya snezhnogo pokrova v vostochnom okruge Moskvy” [Geochemistry of Snow Cover within the Eastern District of Moscow]. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriya 5. Geografiya, no 4, pp. 14-24.
10. Kuznetsova E. A. 2011. “Fiziko-geograficheskiye faktory prostranstvenno-vremennoy izmenchivosti snezhnogo pokrova neftegazopromyslovogo regiona” [Physico-Geographical Factors of the Spatiotemporal Variability of the Snow Cover in the Oil and Gas Field]. Cand. Sci. (Geogr.) diss. Tomsk: Tomsk State University.
11. Makarenkova I. Yu. 2007. “Ekologicheskaya otsenka vozdeystviya neftegazodobyvayushchey deyatel'nosti na vodnyye ob’yekty Srednego Priob'ya” [Environmental Assessment of the Impact of Oil and Gas Production on Water Bodies of the Middle Ob Region]. Cand. Sci. (Geogr.) diss. Rostov-na-Donu: Yuzhny Federal University.
12. Moskovchenko D. V., Babushkin A. G. 2012. ”Osobennosti formirovaniya khimicheskogo sostava snegovogo pokrova na territorii Khanty-Mansiyskogo avtonomnogo okruga” [Features of the Formation of the Chemical Composition of the Snow Cover in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug]. Earth Cryosphere, vol. 16, no 1, pp. 71-81.
13. Moskovchenko D. V. 1998. “Neftegazodobycha i okruzhayushchaya sreda: ekologo-geokhimicheskiy analiz Tyumenskoy oblasti” [Oil and Gas Development and the Environment: Ecological and Geochemical Analysis of the Tyumen Region]. Novosibirsk: Nauka, Sib. predpriyatiye RAS. 
14. Moskovchenko D. V. 2006. “Biogeokhimicheskiye osobennosti verkhovykh bolot Zapadnoy Sibiri” [Biogeochemical Features of West-Siberian Upper Bogs]. Geography and Natural Resources, no 1, pp. 63-70.
15. Perel'man A. I., Kasimov N. S. 1999. “Geokhimiya landshafta” [Landscape Geochemistry]. Moscow: Astreya-2000. 
16. Kasimov N. S. Bityukova V. R, Malkhazova S. M et al. 2014. Regiony i goroda Rossii: Integral'naya otsenka ekologicheskogo sostoyaniya [Regions and Cities of Russia: The Integrated Assessment of the Environment]. Edited by N. S. Kasimov. Moscow: IP Filimonov M. V. 
17. Goskomgidromet. 1991. Rukovodstvo po kontrolyu zagryazneniya atmosfery. RD 52.04.186-89 [Guidebook on the Control of Atmospheric Pollution. RD 52.04.186-89]. Moscow: Goskomgidromet.
18. Savichev O. G. 2005. “Usloviya formirovaniya ionnogo stoka v basseyne Sredney Obi” [Conditions for the Formation of Ion Flow in the Middle Ob Basin]. Izvestiya Tomskogo politekhnicheskogo universiteta, vol. 308, no 2, pp. 54-58.
19. Talovskaya A. V., Yazikov Ye. G., Filimonenko Ye. A. 2014.”Otsenka zagryazneniya atmosfernogo vozdukha urbanizirovannykh rayonov Tomskoy oblasti po dannym izucheniya snegovogo pokrova” [Assessment of Atmosphere Pollution in Urbanized Areas of the Tomsk Region According to the Results of Snow Cover Study]. Geoekologiya. Inzhenernaya geologiya. Gidrogeologiya. Geokriologiya, no 5, pp. 408-417.
20. Filimonenko Ye. A. 2015. “Ekologo-geokhimicheskaya obstanovka v rayonakh raspolozheniya ob’yektov teploenergetiki po dannym izucheniya nerastvorimoy i rastvorimoy faz snega (na primere Tomskoy oblasti)” [Ecological and Geochemical Situation in the Area of Location of Power Station Facilities According to the Study of Soluble and Dissolved Snow Phases (On the Example of Tomsk)]. Cand. Sci. (Geol.-Mineral.) diss. Tomsk: Tomsk National Research Polytechnic University.
21. Shmoylova G. S. 2007. “Geoekologicheskaya otsenka gorodskikh territoriy (na primere Nizhnevartovska)” [Geoecological Assessment of Urban Areas (On Example of Nizhnevartovsk)]. Cand. Sci. (Geogr.) diss. Kaluga: Kaluga State University. 
22. Nriagu J. O., Pacyna J. M. 1988. “Quantitative Assessment of Worldwide Contamination of Air, Water and Soils with Trace Elements”. Nature, vol. 333, pp. 134-139.
23. Viklander M. 1999. “Substances in Urban Snow. A Comparison of the Contamination of Snow in Different Parts of the City of Luleå, Sweden”. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, vol. 114, pp. 377-394.