Vanadium in modern sediments of urban lakes in the North of Russia: natural and anthropogenic sources

Abstract

Studies have found that vanadium tends to accumulate in the sediments of lakes located in urban areas where fuel oil thermal power plants or boiler houses are present. The highest concentration of vanadium, amounting to 4785 mg/kg, was found in a lake situated less than a kilometer away from a thermal power plant. In contrast, pristine lakes typically have vanadium levels that are consistent with or below the background levels. In certain regions of Karelia, the elevated concentration of vanadium in lake sediments can be attributed to the presence of uranium‑vanadium ores. In urban sediments, vanadium is closely associated with nickel, which can also be released into the environment through the emissions of thermal power plants and boiler houses. It has been observed that vanadium in lakes primarily exists in the solid insoluble fraction, possibly bonded with natural minerals.