The Science of the Total Environment 182 (1996) 147- 158 Regional variation of snowpack chemistry in the vicinity of Nikel and Zapoljarnij, Russia, northern Finland and Norway Clemens Reimann* a, Heikki Niskavaarab, Patrice de Caritata, Tor Erik Finne”, Matti &rSsb, Viktor Chekushin” “Geological Survey of Norway, P. O&x 30% L&z, N-7002 Trondheim, Norway bGeologicai Survey of Fink& P. O&x 77, FIN-%101 Romniemi, Finhand Y?entral Kola Expedition, Fersman St. 26, 1842@ Apatity. Rush Received 29 August 1995; accepted 29 November 1995 The Geological Surveysof Finland and Norway, in co-operation with the Central Kola Expedition, Russia, are car- rying out a major geochemical mapping project (1992- 1886) of the western half of the Kola Penins& and the adjacent areasin Norway and Finland (188 000 km’). A part of this project wasa pilot study of the area surrounding the nick- el industries in Nikel and Zapoljamij, Russia, and the iron ore mine and mill in Kirkenes, Norway, using a variety ofsamplemdia.Snowpacksamplestakenattheendofthe1991-1992winterprovedtobeweUsuitedtocharacterising the industrial emissions in this area. By separately analyshrg n&water and filter residues, water soluble and particulate emissions am be differentiated. Results show that, for the majority of elements, part&s govern the total deposition chemistry. Four difRrent sources of element input can be distinguishedz (1) industrial emissions, (2) sea spray, (3) geogenic dust and (4) anthropogenic dust. Multi&ment analysis, using HP-MS, ICP-AR!? and ion chromatography, followed by regional mapping, showed that all the elements analysed for, namely Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Cl, Co, Cr, 01, F, Fe, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, MO, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sb, SC,Se, Si, Sr, Th, Ti, Ti, U, V, Y and Zn, show unusually high concentrations in the vicinity of the nickel industry in Russia. Keywords: Snow; Chemistry; Kola Peninsula; Atmospheric pollution; Industrial emissions; Geochemical mapping; Heavy tnetals; Particular deposition; Wet deposition 1. -on The Geological Surveys of Finland (GTK) and Norway (NGU) and the Central Kola (Geological) Expedition (CKE) are at present undertaking a * Comspwrding author, Tel.: +47 73 904310; Fax: -147 73 921620; e-mail: clcmcn~.reimann@ngu.no. large environmental gemhemical mapping project in the vicinity of the nickel smelters at Nikel and Monchegorsk on the Kola Penins&, Russia (see http://www,ngu.no/Kola), Geochemical maps for an area of approximately 188 000 km2 will be prepared in 1995-l!% for a number of d&&rent sample media and more than 30 elements. The western and eastern borders of the study area are 0048-%97196&15.00 0 1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved SSDI 0048-9697(95)05061-C