Geoecological characteristics of Lake Imandra sediments within the zone of influence of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant

Authors

Keywords:

Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, Kola Nuclear Power Plant, Lake Imandra, sediments, geoecological characteristics, pollution, heavy metals, microelements, alkaline earth metals

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study investigating the chemical composition of Lake Imandra sediments within the zone of influence of wastewater discharge from the Kola Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), which has been operational for half a century. Nuclear power plants are industrial facilities of high environmental hazard and are therefore subject to consistent scrutiny by regulatory authorities, the media, and the public. Accordingly, as part of a state-mandated research program, staff from the Institute of North Industrial Ecology Problems of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences periodically conducts investigations of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The present study, which included an analysis of the chemical composition of Lake Imandra sediments, was performed in 2023. Sediment cores were collected at two stations, for which thirty-year-old comparative data are available. The cores were sectioned into 1 cm layers, and chemical analysis of the selected samples was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, enabling the determination of concentrations for over 50 elements, including macro- and microelements. The results indicate that the primary contaminant elements are heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Co, Zn, Cd, Pb, Bi, and As) as well as alkaline earth metals (Ca and Sr). The main sources of these elements in Lake Imandra are mining and metal processing enterprises, predominantly the Severonikel Plant and the Apatit Production Association. The contribution of the KNPP to lake pollution is minimal, consisting primarily of the transfer of water from the more contaminated Yokostrovskaya Imandra reach to the Babinskaya Imandra reach, and the thermal pollution of the adjacent water area due to the discharge of heated water following reactor cooling.

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Published

2026-05-28

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