The trace elements in the snow cover of the 2018-2019 season in the Novy Urengoy region (Arctic part of Western Siberia)

Revealing background concentrations of chemical elements and radionuclides in the surface components of the environment exposed to constant atmospheric processes is the first step towards detecting areas with their abnormally high concentrations of natural and man-made character. In this work, we present the results of studying the content of trace elements and microparticles in the snow cover accumulated during the 2018-2019 winter season in the Novy Urengoy region. Samples were taken along the roads using a rare sampling grid over the entire depth of the snow cover. In laboratory conditions, after the snow melted, the solution was filtered. The results of mass spectrometric measurements of the trace element concentrations in the filtrates show that their composition is homogeneous and does not vary slightly at the sampling points. Evaluation of the prevailing directions of backward air-mass trajectories was computed using the HYSPLIT model.

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant (project No 18-77-10039). Analytical studies were carried out at the Center for multi-elemental and isotope research SB RAS.