Hazardous pollutants in the natural environment of Wrangel Island

The research is focused on the study of the content of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals (HM) on Wrangel Island within the framework of the UMKA-2022 expedition. The purpose of the study is to assess the pollution level of abiotic and biotic components of the natural environment, which is important for understanding the environmental situation in the Arctic. Samples of soil, seawater and biota have been analyzed for the presence of POPs and HM using modern analytical methods. The results showed the presence of 69 pollutants of hazard classes 1-3 in all samples, with the highest concentrations in the central part of the island and off the coast of the Chukchi Sea. In the soil, exceedances of maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) have been recorded for chromium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, lead and cadmium. Exceedances of cadmium, lead and nickel have been also detected in surface water. Analysis of pollution data on the island has confirmed a significant level of anthropogenic load and degradation of ecosystems, especially in the areas of Rogers Bay, Somnitelnaya Bay and Cape Hawaii.