Geochemical Indicators for Paleolimnological Studies of the Anthropogenic Influence on the Environment of the Russian Federation: A Review

Abstract

Lake sediments are a reliable source of information about the past, including data of the origin of water bodies and their changes. Russia has more than 2 million lakes, so paleolimnological studies are relevant here. This review deals with the most significant studies of sequential accumulation of pollutants, including heavy metals in recent lake sediments in Russia. The key areas are northwestern regions of Russia (Murmansk Region, the Republic of Karelia, Arkhangelsk Region), the Urals (Chelyabinsk Region, the Republic of Bashkortostan), and Siberia. The review presents the data of pollutants accumulation, the sedimentation rate in lakes in the anthropogenic period, and the key sources of pollution of the environment in each of the mentioned regions. The article is divided into three parts (sections): industrial areas, urbanized areas, and background (pristine) areas so that readers might better understand the specifics of particular pollution and its impact on lake ecosystems. The impact of metallurgical plants, mining companies, boiler rooms, coal and mazut thermal power plants, transport, and other anthropogenic sources influencing geochemical characteristics of lakes located nearby or at a distance to these sources of pollution are considered. For instance, the direct influence of factories and transport was noted in the study of lake sediments in industrial regions and cities. In the background territories, the influence of long-range transport of pollutants was mainly noted. It was found that sedimentation rates are significantly lower in pristine areas, especially in the Frigid zone, compared to urbanized areas and industrial territories. In addition, the excess concentrations of heavy metals over the background are higher in the sediments of lakes that are directly affected by the source of pollution. At the end of the article, further prospects of the development of paleolimnological studies in Russia are discussed in the context of the continuing anthropogenic impact on the environment.

Geochemical Assessment of the Modern Sediments of a Lake in the North of Russia

“…In the case of Lake Okunozero, this may be due to the activity of trains, cars and land development around the village. The closest large industrial and urbanized area to Lake Okunozero is the city of Petrozavodsk, where earlier studies of small lakes and rivers showed a significant level of heavy metal pollution [10]. On the other hand, the concentrations of Mn decreased in the lower layers and there was no dynamics of the distribution of Mo concentrations.…”

“…The total concentrations of the majority of heavy metals also varied in the studied sapropel core (Figure 3). For example, the total concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, and Cd rose from the lower to upper layers, which is related to the anthropogenic influence on the lake, as these metals are indicators of the modern environmental transformations [10,[23][24][25]. Herewith, it can be associated both with the local anthropogenic sources, such as emissions from cars and trains, and with the long-range transport of heavy metals [26].…”

“…It is worth noting that the accumulation of heavy metals in sediments of small water bodies is one of the global problems for the European North of Russia [7][8][9][10]. Although the maximum concentrations of heavy metals are generally noted in the objects located near particular anthropogenic sources, there is a risk of contamination of objects located in background territories due to the factor of long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants [11,12].…”

Water Environment Pollution and Control in the Dual-Carbon Background

“…In this wide "Water Environment Pollution and Control" framework, this Special Issue aimed to provide important knowledge and lay a sound scientific foundation for the control and management of water environment pollution by studying the environmental behaviors and bioavailabilities of various pollutants. The thirteen articles in this Special Issue focusing on water environmental pollution and control are mainly divided into four categories: (1) the composition characteristics and environmental behaviors of the pollutants in the surface water (i.e., the Chinese lakes Ulansuhai [1], Hulun Lake [2], Tai Lake [3], Shahu Lake [4], and Russian Ancient lakes [5]); (2) the assessment of groundwater and aquifer interaction [6] and the sources, risks, and management of groundwater pollution [7]; (3) the impact of polluted water on human health [8][9][10]; and (4) the removal of pollutants in water [11][12][13].…”

“…Since the call for papers was announced in 2022, and after a rigorous peer-review process, thirteen papers have been accepted for publication in the Special Issue [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13], which include eleven research papers [1][2][3][4]6,[8][9][10][11][12][13] and two reviews [5,7]. We offer brief highlights of the published papers below.…”