Heavy Metals in Atmospheric Air in the Kara Sea Water Area in September–October 2011

Abstract

The article presents the results of measurements of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co Cr, As, and Fe concentrations in atmospheric aerosols in the surface layer over the Kara Sea. The data were collected on 12 segments of a cruise of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in September–October 2011. The trace element contents in atmospheric aerosol samples were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry with electrical and thermal atomization and automatic background correction. The dataset was analyzed in relation to the direction in which air masses moved into the study area; the direction was determined from the reverse motion trajectories of air particles. It is demonstrated that concentrations of pollutants increase in air masses coming off the continent and decrease in air masses coming off the ocean. The enrichment of Arctic aerosols in trace elements is calculated.