Copper-nickel Smelter Research Articles

Detection of boreal forest decline with high-resolution panchromatic satellite imagery

Long-term operation of the powerful copper-nickel smelter Severonikel in central Kola Peninsula, Arctic Russia has caused decline of boreal forest. Using historical photographs from the American spy satellite CORONA from the 1960s and latest images from civil high-resolution satellites, it is possible to study changes in forest over a long perspective. The study aims were: (1) to detect expansion of the forest decline around the Severonikel smelter for the period 1964-1996 with panchromatic high-resolution image pair; (2) to test the applicability of CORONA and Landsat TM together with a high resolution panchromatic image in automatic change detection studies. High-resolution panchromatic summer images, registered by the CORONA in 1964 and by IRS 1C in 1996, as well as multi-spectral Landsat TM from 1996 were used in the analysis. The simple-difference and PCA methods were applied separately to the datasets CORONA/IRS and CORONA/Landsat TM for change-detection between 1964 and 1996. Both methods showed similar results for the same dataset and close results for the two datasets. Analysis showed several patches of change in forests due to the smelter emissions, fires and logging. Close to the smelter, a further transition from the forest decline to the industrial desert took place at the expanse of the low emission sources, whereas beyond 10 km from the smelter, expansion of the forest damage progressed due to the emissions from the high sources. Landsat TM, despite its coarser spatial resolution, can be a good alternative in change detection studies, if other high-resolution panchromatic satellite data are not available. Historical CORONA can be successfully used in automatic change detection, although, for mosaicking and co-registration, DEM is badly needed.

Assessment of copper–nickel industry impact on a subarctic lake ecosystem

The Kuetsjärvi lake ecosystem has been subject to intensive pollution generated by the Pechenganickel Company activities for more than 50 years. This article considers the effects of emissions from the copper–nickel smelter, that uses out-of-date technology, on a subarctic lake ecosystem. Six years of investigations revealed changes occurring at all ecosystem levels. It was found that the content of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, etc.) in lake sediments was dozens of times higher than the background values. Phyto- and zooplankton communities were in an unstable condition, while fish had pathologies of functionally important organs (gill, liver and kidney). The concentration of nickel in zoobenthos and fish was correlated its accumulation in sediments.

Nature and origin of multicomponent aerial emissions of the copper–nickel smelter complex

The Severonickel Smelter Complex as well as other big nickel–copper smelter plants are the source of metallurgical dust emissions, enriched with toxic elements Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn and As. The phase composition of typical metallurgy dust is described as pentlandite (Ni,Fe) 9S 8, pyrrhotite Fe 7S 8(Ni x ), chalcopyrite CuFeS 2, chalcosite Cu 2S, covellite CuS, cuprite Cu 2O, tenorite CuO, and metal copper and nickel. The fine dust fractions are enriched by lead, zinc and arsenic oxides. The obtained data can be turned to account when conducting the investigations of heavy metal behaviour in nature media, in particular soils.

Population densities and diversity of Calliphoridae (Diptera) around a nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk, Northwestern Russia

In the summer of 2000, we collected blowflies (Calliphoridae) in ten sites around the Severonikel smelter on the Kola Peninsula. Meat-baited funnel traps (three per site), operated from June 10 to August 30, yielding 973 specimens of ten blowfly species; eight species are reported from the Kola Peninsula for the first time. The maximum catch (495 individuals), obtained at the site located 1 km from the smelter, was due to the synanthropic preferences of the two most common species, Protophormia terraenovae and Cynomya mortuorum. Neither total abundance nor diversity of blowflies attracted by meat baits changed along the pollution gradient.

Changes in wind regime around a nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk, northwestern Russia.

Wind stress may significantly change plant damage by aerial pollutants. However, almost no information exists on pollution-induced changes in wind regime around the strong emission sources. Wind speed, measured in industrial barrens adjacent to the nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk (Kola Peninsula, NW Russia), was two to three times as high as in the slightly polluted and nearly unpolluted forests. The ratio between the maximum wind velocity within 30 s and the average velocity of that time interval showed no temporal variation, thus characterising the wind regime. This ratio was highest in unpolluted forests, suggesting the predominance of gusty winds; in industrial barrens the maximum wind speed was only slightly higher than the average value. Since topography did not explain the spatial variation in wind regime, I conclude that my data represent the first direct evidence for distinct changes in wind regime caused by pollution-induced habitat deterioration. The results suggest that initial (partly pollution-induced) forest disturbance causes secondary effects (like increased snow evaporation, followed by soil freezing and plant damage) that may enhance further disturbance in a positive feedback fashion.

Decline in length of the summer season on the Kola Peninsula, Russia

By analysing records made in the northern taiga forests of the Lapland Reserve (Kola Peninsula, Russia) during 1930–1998, we unexpectedly discovered a decline in the length of the snow-free and ice-free periods by 15–20 days due to both delayed spring and advanced autumn/winter. Respective seasonal temperatures best explained the dates of all phenological phases: 1 °C shift in temperature was approximately equal to 2–5 day shift in phenology. However the phenological shiftsduring the observation period are much larger than could be expected from the slight (0.56 °C) drop in temperatures during August–September, suggesting that the biotic effects of a very slight cooling have been enhanced by one or more unknown factors. Although emissions of sulphur dioxide from the nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk may have contributed to the observed trend (via changes in regional radiative budget), we found no evidence of direct pollution impact on dates of birch autumnal coloration or birch leaf fall, which exhibited the largest (22 days) shift between 1930 and 1998. The detected phenological trends agree with an increase in winter (snow) precipitation in the study area by 44%; however, effects of precipitation on any of the investigated phenological phases were far from significant. Our results highlight the importance of phenological records for the assessment of past regional environmental changes, and demonstrates that the prediction of even the simplest biotic responses to the Global Changes requires a profound understanding of the interactive impact of abiotic factors on the ecosystem.

Effects of compensatory fertilization on pollution-induced stress in scots pine

We tested the hypothesis that compensatory fertilization of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands polluted by theHarjavalta copper-nickel smelter in SW Finland alleviates thestress imposed by metal-contaminated soils. The treatments inthe experiment consisted of control, liming, slow-release mineral mixture and stand-specific fertilization, which comprised at least methylene urea and ammonium nitrate. Stresswas assessed by needle fluctuating asymmetry (FA) which increases with an increase in developmental instability. Sevenyears after the treatments, we found pronounced variation inboth FA and needle length among study sites (0.5, 2, 4 and 8 km from the smelter) and among treatments. FA increased and needlelength decreased with proximity to the pollution source. Variation in FA was independent of tree size (used as index ofgrowth rate in even-age stand); the effects of the treatmentson needle length, on the other hand, were expressed only inmedium-sized and large trees. Liming best alleviated pollutionstress, while the application of a slow-release mineral mixtureincreased FA by 30%. In pollution-stressed stands FA correlatedpositively with constitutive resin flow but was independent of volume growth. Our findings suggest that physiological stress (indicated by increase in developmental instability) and tree growth or stand productivity are not directly linked to one another, and that some increase in productivity can be achievedwithout the alleviation of pollution-induced stress.

Snowpack changes around a nickel–copper smelter at Monchegorsk, northwestern Russia

Snow depth in industrial barrens adjacent to the nickel–copper smelter at Monchegorsk (Kola peninsula, northwestern Russia) by the end of the winter was reduced to one-third of the depth observed in weakened and healthy forests located 30–65 km from the smelter; this reduction was due to both decline (by one-half) in the amount (mass) of snow and increase in snow density. Since winter precipitation in Monchegorsk was about the same as in an unpolluted locality 56 km south-southwest of the smelter, and snowpack characteristics correlated with site-specific wind speed, the low amount of snow around the smelter is presumably due to snow movement from open windy habitats and enhanced snow evaporation during the wind transport; higher snow densities may be explained by wind-induced compaction of snow particles. Pollution affects snowpack characteristics by modifying wind regime via forest damage; in turn, decline in snow depth influence the growth form and (possibly) performance of trees that managed to survive in heavily polluted habitats. Thus, initial (partially pollution-induced) forest disturbance, through secondary effects, may enhance further disturbance in a positive feedback fashion; therefore, possible ecological effects of pollution-related snowpack changes should be accounted for in field studies conducted along pollution gradients within the forest zone.

Patterns in content of phenolic compounds in leaves of mountain birches along a strong pollution gradient

The contents of individual low-molecular weight phenolic compounds (LMWPs) in mountain birch, Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii, leaves collected during 1996–1998 in six plots 7–65 km south of the nickel–copper smelter at Monchegorsk, Kola Peninsula, NW Russia, were reported. A high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation–mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESI–MS) was used for the rapid identification of low-molecular weight phenolics. Quantification was performed by the analytical high-performance liquid chromatography with UV-detection. Contents of (+)-catechin and some gallic acid derivatives decreased significantly, and contents of flavonol glycosides slightly increased with the distance from the smelter. Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives remained unaffected. These changes in birch leaf phenolics are probably related to the effect of environmental contamination on the biosynthetic reactions both in the shikimate and phenylpropanoid pathways.

Element distribution in Empetrum nigrum microsites at heavy metal contaminated sites in Harjavalta, western Finland

Small-scale element distribution in soil–plant-systems in patches of Empetrum nigrum (microsites) at heavy metal contaminated sites located 0.5 and 4 km from the copper–nickel smelter at Harjavalta was investigated. The Cu concentrations of E. nigrum varied between 12 and 2300 mg/kg dw and showed increasing accumulation with increasing tissue age. Stems contained more Cu than leaves of the same age. The distribution pattern of Ni and Pb in the above-ground biomass followed that of Cu. Roots contained relatively low concentrations of all airborne heavy metals. In the soil, the highest concentrations of total Cu occurred in the humus (Oh) layer: on average 49,450 mg/kg dw at 0.5 km distance and 12,025 mg/kg dw at 4.0 km. Despite the extremely high Cu concentrations in the topsoil, the concentrations in the mineral soil below a depth of 10 cm did not exceed 2.5 mg/kg dw at any site.

Snowpack changes around a nickel–copper smelter at Monchegorsk, northwestern Russia

Snowpack changes around a nickel–copper smelter at Monchegorsk, northwestern Russia

In situ bioremediation through mulching of soil polluted by a copper-nickel smelter.

Bioremediation of a heavy metal-polluted soil was investigated in a 3-yr field experiment by adding mulch to a polluted forest floor. The mulch consisted of a mixture of compost and woodchips. The remediation treatment decreased the toxicity of the soil solution to bacteria as determined by the [3H]-thymidine incorporation technique, that is, by measuring the growth rate of soil bacteria extracted from unpolluted humus after exposing them to soil solution containing heavy metals from the experimental plots. Canonical correlation analysis was performed in order to identify the chemical and microbiological changes in the soil. The pH of the mulched organic layer increased by one unit. The concentration of complexed Cu increased and that of free Cu2+ decreased in the soil solution from the mulch treatment. According to basal respiration and litter decomposition, microbial activity increased during the 3 yr following the remediation treatment. The [3H]-thymidine incorporation technique was also used to study the growth rate and tolerance of bacteria to Cu. The bacterial growth rate increased and the Cu tolerance decreased on the treated plots. The structure of the microbial community, as determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, remained unchanged. The results indicate that remediation of the polluted soil had occurred, and that adding a mulch to the forest floor is a suitable method for remediating heavy metal-polluted soil.

Fallout 137Cs, 90Sr and 239+240Pu in soils polluted by heavy metals: Vertical distribution, residence half-times, and external gamma-dose rates

The industrial pollution of an ecosystem, e.g., by heavy metals, might also affect the behavior of fallout radionuclides in the soils of these areas. To study such effects, we determined at various distances from the huge copper-nickel smelters at Monchegorsk on the Kola Peninsula (Russia) and at a reference site: (1) the vertical distribution of fallout 137Cs,90Sr and239+240Pu in the soil, (2) the corresponding residence half-times in different soil horizons, and (3) the resulting external gamma-dose rates at these sites in 1 m height due to 137Cs in the soil. The data show that the residence half-times and the partitioning of the fallout radionuclides among the various soil horizons depend significantly on the extent of the heavy metal pollution at the sites. The resulting external gamma-dose rate in 1 m height due to 137Cs in the soil is, however, rather similar at the various sites.

Effect of chemical pollution on forms of 137Cs, 90Sr and 239,240Pu in Arctic soil studied by sequential extraction

The aim of the present study was to determine the forms of 137Cs, 90Sr and 239,240Pu occurring in different soil horizons using sequential extraction of samples taken from four sites located along a pollution gradient from the copper–nickel smelter at Monchegorsk in the Kola Peninsula, Russia, and from a reference site in Finnish Lapland in 1997. A selective sequential-leaching procedure was employed using a modification of the method of Tessier, Cambell and Bisson ((1979). Analytical Chemistry, 51, 844–851). For 137Cs the organic (O) and uppermost mineral (E1) layer were studied, for 90Sr and 239,240Pu only the uppermost organic layer (Of). The fraction of 137Cs occurring in readily exchangeable form in the organic layer was about 50% at the reference site and decreased as a function of pollution, being 15% at the most polluted site in the Kola Peninsula. There was a clear positive correlation in the O layer between the distance from the smelter and the percentage of 137Cs extracted in the readily exchangeable fraction (Spearman correlation r sp=0.7805, p=0.0001), whereas in the E1 layer no correlation was evident. The distribution of 90Sr in the Of layer was similar at all sites, with the highest amounts occurring in exchangeable form and bound to organic matter, whereas stable Sr showed a somewhat different distribution with the highest amount in the oxide fraction. Most of the 239,240Pu was bound to organic matter. Chemical pollution affected the exchangeable fraction of 239,240Pu, which was about 1% at the most polluted site and 4–6% at the other sites.

Effects of air pollution on natural enemies of the leaf beetle Melasoma lapponica

Summary 1. Air pollution might have differential effects on herbivores and their natural enemies, thus changing population dynamics. Therefore, from 1993 to 1998 we studied mortality caused by parasitoids and predators to the willow‐feeding leaf beetle Melasoma lapponica in the impact zone of the Severonikel nickel–copper smelter (Kola Peninsula, north‐western Russia). 2. Densities of M. lapponica were very low at clean forest sites (below five beetles per 10‐min count) but higher in polluted areas (10–340 beetles per count). There were, however, variations between study years. 3. Egg predation, mainly by syrphid larvae and zoophagous bugs, was higher at relatively clean sites (55·3%) than at polluted sites (22·2%). Similarly, predation on larvae by zoophagous bugs and wood ants was higher at clean sites (68·4%) than at polluted sites (32·9%). 4. In contrast to predation, mortality caused by the parasitoid flies Megaselia opacicornis (Phoridae) and Cleonice nitidiuscula (Tachinidae) was lower at clean sites (12·3%) than at polluted sites (35·3%). Total parasitism levels increased significantly with pollution load. 5. Total mortality caused by natural enemies was higher at clean sites (93·7%) than at polluted sites (79·4%) due to higher predation rates, which may partly explain increased leaf beetle density within the smelter's impact zone. The effects of predators in clean forests were confirmed by the extinction of adults of M. lapponica introduced to one of the forest sites. 6. Although some individual sources of mortality appeared to be density dependent (direct or inverse), the joint effect of all natural enemies was not. 7. Our data show that a decrease in predation can contribute to increased leaf beetle density at polluted sites. However, the overall effects of natural enemies in this case were not sufficient to account for all density variations between sites. To our knowledge this is the first study to assess how pollution affects the partitioning of mortality in herbivorous insects between predators and parasitoids.

Root versus canopy uptake of heavy metals by birch in an industrially polluted area: contrasting behaviour of nickel and copper

We investigated root versus canopy uptake of nickel and copper by mountain birch, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovi, close to a nickel–copper smelter on the Kola Peninsula, northwest Russia. To distinguish between aerial contamination of leaf surfaces by dust particles and root-derived contamination of leaves by soluble metals, we transplanted seedlings from a control site to clean and metal-contaminated soils and exposed these seedlings both in clean and polluted sites. Patterns of leaf surface contamination and root uptake were similar for nickel and copper; however, nickel but not copper was effectively translocated from roots to shoots and leaves. The majority (80–95%) of nickel and copper found in birch foliage in the heavily contaminated site was due to deposition of dust particles on leaf surfaces; 32–40% of foliar nickel and 9–19% of foliar copper were in water soluble forms. Washing of fresh leaves removed only a minor part of surface contaminants; boiling of unwashed leaves in distilled water for 15 min removed >90% of soluble nickel and copper.

Environmental Contamination in the Central Part of the Kola Peninsula: History, Documentation, and Perception

Abstract The central part of the Kola Peninsula, severely affected by emissions from a nickel-copper smelter at Monche-gorsk, represents a perfect object for environmental studies. We survey the information collected in this region, with special attention paid to earlier works by Russian researchers. Although some sources are difficult to access, and some of the data should be used with caution, the benefits to be derived from the inclusion of the already collected information in forthcoming environmental projects are obvious; it provides a historical (dynamic) view of landscape deterioration and eliminates redundant work. The perception of environmental contamination by local communities changed from acceptance in the 1950s to ignorance in the 1970s and 1980s; the active protests of the early 1990s have been terminated by economic factors, which have drawn public attention away from problems of the environment and of public health.

A Gradient Study of 34 Elements in the Vicinity of a Copper-Nickel Smelter in the Kola Peninsula

Concentrations of 34 elements determined by ICP mass spectrometry were studied in surface soil and vegetation along a north–south gradient through the ‘Pechenganickel’ smelter complex in Kola peninsula, northern Russia. Strong influence from the smelter was evident for Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu, mainly associated with dry deposition of large particles. Also for As, Se, Mo, Sb, Te, Bi, and Pb the smelter or associated sources appeared to be distinct contributors of contamination consisting presumably of smaller particles. Significant but less distinct effects leading to enhanced concentration levels were observed for P, S, V, Cr, Zn, and Tl. In the case of Mn, Rb, Sr, Cs, and Ba the concentrations in vegetation were generally lower near the source, which may be due to cation exchange with protons or heavy metal cations in the soil and subsequent leaching from the root zone. For Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Y, Cd, La, Th, and U no particular influence from the smelter complex was observed. Some characteristic differences observed in element concentrations in different plant species and between different years of Pinus sylvestris needles are discussed. The high concentrations observed for many trace elements in the humus horizon indicates that it acts as an active biogeochemical barrier against downward transport of these elements.

The fate of metals in Arctic surface waters. Method for defining critical levels

Based upon studies in the industrially developed Arctic region, Russian Kola, here we discuss the fate of metals in high latitude surface water. Mainly, attention is paid to the priority pollutants from copper–nickel smelters. The influence of accompanying processes, such as acidification and eutrophication, on metal behavior is considered. The dramatic situation for fauna of Arctic latitudes is illustrated: (i) during the snow-melt, due to the pulse of ionic metal forms; and (ii) during the long polar winter in lower water layers, due to the involvement of a wide spectrum of metals in the redox-cycle under eutrophication and oxygen deficiency. Here we identify fish pathologies, which are related to the influence of metals. Generalizing the data on metal behavior, an original approach to define the integrated impact dose of metals — a toxicity index — has been developed. It presents a visualization of the integrated toxicity index for surface waters of the Russian Kola (based on the data for a 460-lake survey). As shown, there is a risk of fish diseases, due to both airborne contamination by metals and an indirect leaching by acid runoff over almost 30% of the area of the Russian Kola. For the Arctic region, polar winter stress syndrome will be repeatedly significant. During the polar night, as well as the spring, the vulnerability of the Arctic biota to toxic impact is higher. The accompaniment of water metal-pollution by two or more stressors would occur simultaneously, thereby multiplying the risk that it could develop.

Multi-element analysis of fine roots of Scots pine by total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

The aim of this work was to investigate whether total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is a satisfactory technique for the determination of trace element concentrations in fine roots. Fine roots in diameter classes <1 and 1-2 mm from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were used. The roots were collected at different distances from a copper-nickel smelter in south west Finland. The mass of each root sample was approximately 30 mg. The root samples were digested with nitric acid in quartz beakers at atmospheric pressure on a hot-plate. The final volume of each sample solution was 2 ml. The concentrations of P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr and Pb were determined using TXRF. A reference material (Wood Fuel NJV 94-5) was analysed and used for quality control of the TXRF measurements. The root samples were also analysed using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). For most of the elements the inaccuracy was within 20% and the imprecision 4-20% for the TXRF measurements. However, for K the inaccuracy was 30% and for the elements close to the detection limits the inaccuracy and imprecision were even greater. The correlation between TXRF and GFAAS measurements was satisfactory.