Multi-Medium Environmental Monitoring in the Impact Zone of the Copper-Nickel Industrial Complex in the Kola Peninsula.

Current levels of pollution of the main environmental media (atmospheric precipitation, soils, and leaves of seven plant species) were compared on the basis of data of the complex monitoring in the immediate vicinity of one of the largest emission sources of SO2 and heavy metals in Northern Europe. Despite the recent significant decrease in emissions, the environmental pollution near their source in 2001–2011 remained extremely high. The background level was exceeded for SO2 in the air (hundreds of times), as well as for Ni and Cu in snow (thousands to tens of thousands of times), in the upper organic horizon of Podzols (hundreds to thousands of times), and in plant leaves (tens to hundreds of times). Though the input of Zn and Mn with snow is increased, their concentrations in soil remain close to the background, and plants suffer from acute deficit of these important microelements. The immediate vicinity of the copper-nickel industrial complex represents that rare case of anthropogenic impact, when its intensity and duration are accompanied by a strong damage to vegetation, even to its complete destruction. This, in turn, results in a combination of additional indirect adverse environmental factors: disturbance of the water regime of ecosystems and landscapes, changes in the microclimate, soil degradation (deterioration of soil properties and morphology), and quantitative and qualitative changes of biological cycling of elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]