Ecological and toxicological assessment of heavy metal pollution of the Bienda-Stemme Lake (West Spitsbergen)

Abstract

According to the literature, linear-exponential mathematical models have been developed that link the magnitude of the risks (probabilities) of fatal outcomes when metal cations affect daphnia in a wide range of concentration variations. The approach to a comprehensive assessment of heavy metal pollution of surface waters of land has been improved (risk of combined exposure). The classification of water quality is given depending on the magnitude of the combined risks. The broken-stick model was used in order to classify water quality according to metal contamination levels. The developed approach was applied for an interannual assessment of lake pollution. The results of ecological and toxicological assessment of the dynamics of metal pollution (such as iron, manganese, zinc, copper, nickel, cobalt, lead, chromium, mercury and cadmium) of the Bienda-Stemme lake, located in Western Spitsbergen (Svalbard), in the spring of 2003-2019 are presented. It was established that the quality of the Bienda-Stemme lake water varied from “good” in 2003-2004, 2013-2015 to “satisfactory” in 2017 and 2018. In the period of 2007-2012, as well as in 2019, the water quality of the lake was characterized as “very good”. On average for the period of 2003-2019 the water quality of the lake in the spring was characterized as “good”. The main contribution to the metal pollution of the Bienda-Stemme lake is due to compounds of copper, mercury and zinc. A significant advantage of the considered approach to assessing the pollution of the Bienda-Stemme lake by metals is that this approach does not use the system of federal standards for MPC (maximum permissible concentrations). Moreover, up to present, regional standards have not been developed in Russia.