Results of measurement of heavy metals in the waters of the Barents and Greenland seas

Abstract

The results of observations of the content of dissolved forms of Fe, Mn, Cr are presented in the surface layer of sea water in the eastern part of the Barents Sea and in the area of the Greenland Sea near the Svalbard archipelago. The observations were made during the complex expeditions of the MMBI RAS in 2021 and 2022. The concentration of these microelements was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy using a “KVANT.Z” spectrometer. Maps of the distribution of these elements of the study areas are presented, the average concentration of heavy metals did not exceed the maximum allowable concentrations for marine fishery water bodies in the waters of the studied areas. In general, the content of HMs in the waters of the Isfjord and its branches is lower than in the waters of the Barents Sea. The maximum range of heavy metals content variability is also observed in the Barents Sea. The largest spatial variation characterizes in concentrations the distribution of dissolved forms of Fe in the studied basins.