No abstract

Throughout history, humans have experienced epidemics. The balance of living in nature encircled by microorganisms is delicate. More than 70% of today’s emerging infections are zoonotic, i.e., those in which microorganisms transmitted from animals infect humans. Species are on the move at speeds never previously recorded, among ongoing climate change which is especially rapid at high latitudes. This calls for intensified international surveillance of Northern infectious diseases. Russia holds the largest area of thawing permafrost among Northern nations, a process which threatens to rapidly disrupt the balance of nature. In this paper, we provide details regarding Russian health infrastructure in order to take the first steps toward a collaborative international survey of Northern infections and international harmonization of the procured data.

The Russian city of Murmansk has about 300,000 inhabitants and is located inside the Arctic Circle in NE Scandinavia (Russia). It has one of the largest such concentrations of people in the Arctic. The city is a scientific, industrial, cultural, and transportation centre (an ice-free port in the so-called Northern Sea Route, connecting Europe with Asia). Currently, air pollution in the city is associated with outdated city heating technology, coal dust from the port and vehicular traffic, and so-called “small emissions”. The authors propose practical solutions based on known examples of Scandinavian cities with similar climatic conditions such as: the modernisation of heat energy acquisition; diversification of energy acquisition including renewable sources; thermal insulation of buildings; arrangement of urban greenery with dust-catching plants, and proposals for changing the habits within the population by promoting the use of public transport.

Monchegorsk is an intrusion complex of basic and ultrabasic rocks of the Paleoproterozoic age. This complex formed during active magmatic mobility that took place in NE Scandinavia 2.5 Ga years ago. These were the subject of intensive exploration and exploitation at the beginning of the 20th century, the latter carrying on through to the beginning of the 21st century. This contributed to the creation of some different forms of post-industrail mining infrastructure in the area. Many mining settlements, including Monchegorsk, mining plants, adits and quarries were established during this time, the relics of which are still present today. The Monchegorsk intrusions complex is formed by several fragmented massifs: Traviannaya, Kumuzhia, Nittis, Sopcha, Nyud, Poaz, and Monchetundra, the highest elevations of which reach up to 1000 m above sea level. These massifs form a landscape of “islands” and mountain ranges that have influence upon the regional landscape over several tens of kilometers. Their geography is characterized by numerous reliefs, glacial cirques, rocky thresholds with waterfalls and trough lakes. The potential of this region lies in the heritage of historical exploitation, numerous monuments of which have been preserved to this day. An important value is a landscape resulting from the relief of these mountains, highlighted by glacial activity in the Pleistocene. There are also interesting examples of Arctic fauna and flora, and of the rocks that form the bedrock in this intrusion. Some of the mineralization of these outcroppings can also be admired in the collections of the local museum that serves as a geocenter. The possibility of admiring relatively easily accessible views (the international route St. Petersburg–Murmansk–Kirkenes passes through the middle of the hills) and the interesting geology of the area abounding in rocks of mineralogical significance, their exposures, and history, along with the possibility of observing various post-industrail forms, make this area of great tourist potential. This article describes the most interesting exposures of outstanding tourist value and proposes routes connecting these points. It also discusses the problem of securing these exposures and the necessary tourist infrastructure, which is currently lacking.

In the period from January 2, 2018 to December 30, 2022, a comprehensive study of solid atmospheric precipitation was carried out in Murmansk and its environs. Data were obtained on the concentration in freshly fallen snow of solid insoluble particles (9.19±0.51 mg/l) and their components: heavy metals (zinc – 60.1±9.8 ng/g, copper – 11.0±2.6 ng/g, lead – 3.28±0.18 ng/g, cadmium – 0.859±0.096 ng/g), nutrients (nitrates – 79±11 µg-at/l, nitrites – 1.02±0.14 µg-at/l, phosphates – 4.64±0.67 µg-at/l, silicates – 25±5 µg-at/l) and organic matter (21.2±2.2 mg/l), as well as the amount of polymer particles (fragments – 7766±1401 particles per liter, micro-fibers – 638±134 threads per liter, macro-fibers – 29±4 threads per liter). The relationship between the number of insoluble particles and the direction of air masses inflow was revealed. Air masses coming from the Barents Sea brought solid precipitation with less insoluble aerosols (including heavy metals, polymer particles and organic matter) than air masses coming from the continent. The amount of biogenic elements in solid atmospheric precipitation does not depend on the direction of inflow of air masses.