Abstract

Introduction. Snow cover can be considered a reliable index of air pollution, it provides information on the spatial distribution of chemical compounds and the intensity of exposure to emission sources over a certain period. The need for snow cover studies is connected with the fact that precipitation not only reflects the state of atmospheric air, but also is a component of the balance of surface waters, and affects the state of soils, vegetation, and groundwater. Priority pollutants accumulated in the snow cover include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs), posing a public health hazard in urban areas. Materials and methods. To assess the level of contamination of different areas of snow cover in the zones, 9 sites were selected at different distances from stationary sources. Sampling was carried out in the period of maximum snow accumulation in the form of cores over the entire depth. There were used methods of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, fluorimetry. Results. The data on the content of PAH and PHs in the snow cover of the city of Shelekhov of the Irkutsk region are presented. The rates of atmospheric deposition of PAHs, determined by their concentrations in the snow cover, were established to be high in this area. The maximum content of the amount of PAH - 134.7 µg/l and 78.0 µg/l, petroleum hydrocarbons 0.98 µg/l and 0.32 µg/l was found in the levels closest to stationary sources. The total content of benzo(a)pyrene at all points exceeds the background value on average 10.6-29.4 times. Conclusion. The data on the content of PAH and PH in the snow cover of the town of Shelekhov of the Irkutsk region are presented. Rates of atmospheric deposition of PAHs, determined by their concentrations in the snow cover, were established to be high in this area. The maximum content of the amount of PAH - 134.7 µg/l and 78.0 µg/l, petroleum hydrocarbons 0.98 µg/l and 0.32 µg/l was found in the levels closest to stationary sources. The total content of benzo(a)pyrene at all points exceeds the background value on average by 10.6-29.4 times.

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