High-density metals and arsenic in algae of storm emissions from the coastal area of the Severny island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago

Purpose of the Study is to assess the potential hazard in terms of the content of high-density metals (HDMs) and arsenic (As) for the consumption of objects of the Arctic algal flora presented in storm emissions in places of probable disembarkation of a crew, the ship has come in a distress or a disaster in the water area of the northern seas of the Russian Federation.Materials and methods. The elemental composition of samples of the plants thrown by the wind-wave impact on the coastal area of the Severny island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Before making the analysis, thallus fragments were dried at 80° C to constant weight to determine their dry weight with an accuracy of 1 mg. The material mineralization was carried out using a microwave mineralizer according to the standard technique. The elementary analysis was performed using MGA-915M atomic spectrometer. The data obtained were compared with the maximum permissible levels established by the current regulatory documents. According to the results of measurements, series of decreasing concentrations of HDMs in algae samples were built according to the places of collection and species.Results and Discussion. It has been found that the lowest content of HDMs and arsenic in the wind-wave emissions of algae on the Severny Island in the Russkaya Gavan Bay of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago belongs to both Laminaria digitata and vegetative parts of the thallus of most of the other ejected algae. These plants can be used for food in extreme situations by the crews of a ship (an aircraft, etc.) who has come in a distress or a disaster.

Assessment of the pathogenesis of visual impairment naval specialists of the arctic zone of the russian federation during the polar night

Introduction. The climatogeographic conditions of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation are determined by the proximity to the North Pole of the Earth and are characterized by a number of certain cyclical changes that do not take place in the middle latitudes — the polar day and the polar night. The high-latitude location determines the long period of the polar night, lasting from 98 to 133 days. Being the hallmark of the Arctic, the polar night is an integral part of service in the Arctic region, it has an impact on every geographically involved person, without exception.Purpose of work. To assess the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of visual impairment that develop during the polar night in naval specialists.Materials and research methods. The study involved 92 people. The surveyed contingent is male contract servicemen of the Navy, aged from 21 to 45 years. The analysis of the morbidity structure according to the ophthalmological profile was carried out during the polar night from November 20, 2020 to January 20, 2021 using an epidemiological method of a case-control study. The assessment of unfavorable climatic and geographical factors of the Arctic region during the polar night was carried out by the method of analytical observation and data recording from November 20, 2020 to January 20, 2021 using the example of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, Belushya Guba village. On the basis of an integral analysis of epidemiological indicators, climatogeographic and clinical and morphological observations, a pathophysiological assessment of diseases of the organ of vision, developing during the polar night in naval specialists, was carried out.Research results show a high level of ophthalmological morbidity during the polar night among naval specialists serving on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.Conclusions. Climatogeographic factors of the Arctic region have a polyetiological effect on the formation of mechanisms of pathogenesis of disorders of visual functions that develop in naval specialists during the polar night.

Features of the Distribution of Chlorophyll-a Concentration along the Western Coast of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago in Spring

In spring 2016, the thermohaline characteristics of water masses and the distribution of chlorophyll-a concentration in the pelagic zone of the eastern part of the Barents Sea were studied. For the first time, in the conditions of an abnormally warm year and the absence of ice cover, a complex of hydrobiological works was carried out on a section crossing the Barents Sea from south to north along the western coast of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. High concentrations of chlorophyll-a > 1 ˂ 6 mg/m3 at all stations of the transect indicate a stage of spring bloom in the successional cycle of microalgae. Significant differences in the content of chlorophyll-a in waters of various origins were revealed. The highest concentrations of chlorophyll-a corresponded to Arctic surface water (5.56 mg/m3). Slightly lower values were observed in the transformed Atlantic waters of the Novozemelskoe and Kolguevo–Pechorskoe currents (3.53 ± 0.97–3.71 ± 1.04 mg/m3), and the lowest was in the Barents waters (1.24 ± 0.84–1.45 ± 1.13 mg/m3).

Radioecological and geochemical peculiarities of cryoconite on Novaya Zemlya glaciers

In recent years, cryoconite has received growing attention from a radioecological point of view, since several studies have shown that this material is extremely efficient in accumulating natural and anthropogenic radionuclides. The Novaya Zemlya Archipelago (Russian Arctic) hosts the second largest glacial system in the Arctic. From 1957 to 1962, numerous atmospheric nuclear explosions were conducted at Novaya Zemlya, but to date, very little is known about the radioecology of its ice cap. Analysis of radionuclides and other chemical elements in cryoconite holes on Nalli Glacier reveals the presence of two main zones at different altitudes that present different radiological features. The first zone is 130–210 m above sea level (a.s.l.), has low radioactivity, high concentrations of lithophile elements and a chalcophile content close to that of upper continental crust clarkes. The second zone (220–370 m a.s.l.) is characterized by high activity levels of radionuclides and “inversion” of geochemical behaviour with lower concentrations of lithophiles and higher chalcophiles. In the upper part of this zone (350–370 m a.s.l.), 137Cs activity reaches the record levels for Arctic cryoconite (5700–8100 Bq/kg). High levels of Sn, Sb, Bi and Ag, significantly exceeding those of upper continental crust clarkes, also appear here. We suggest that a buried layer of contaminated ice that formed during atmospheric nuclear tests serves as a local secondary source of radionuclide contamination. Its melting is responsible for the formation of this zone.

Patterns of Benthic Communities in Arctic Fjords (Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Kara Sea): Resilience vs. Fragility

Despite a large number of studies, a detailed overall picture of benthic communities zonation in the Arctic fjords is currently lacking. Our study aimed to find out whether there is a universal model for the distribution of benthic communities based on the structural features of the fjords. We examined benthic macrofaunal communities in fjords with various environmental settings on the eastern coast of Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Kara Sea. The material was collected during five cruises undertaken from 2013 to 2016. A total of 50 stations located in the five fjords were taken. In all five fjords, macrofauna had a similar composition assembled from a regional species pool, with a predominance of species tolerant to glacial sedimentation and fluctuations in temperature and salinity. Benthic communities changed consistently along the axis of the bay from the outer slope to the inner parts. Biodiversity and quantitative characteristics of the macrofauna decreased along the environmental gradient related to terrigenous and glacial runoff, consistent with patterns reported in other studies of Arctic glacial fjords. The most impoverished communities were dominated by bivalve Portlandia arctica and isopod Saduria sabini. At the same time, fjord walls and sills, characterized by low sedimentation rates, strong currents and the presence of ice-rafted debris, were inhabited by patchy distributed benthic communities dominated by species confined to hard substrates. In general, the distribution of communities corresponded to five zones: depleted inner periglacial areas, the upper subtidal belt with stony substrates, deep inner semi-isolated basin, outer non-isolated basins and upper slope transitioning to lower slope. Our study can provide a reference point for monitoring changes in fjord ecosystems in response to climate change and the potential impact of human activities.

Polychaete genus Pholoe (Polychaeta: Pholoidae) in the north-east region of the Barents Sea

The paper describes species composition, distribution and biology of the polychaeta genus Pholoe in the north-east region of the Barents Sea (between Franz Josef Land and north-west coast of Novaya Zemlya archipelago). One species of the genu s was identified based on the reviewed morphological descriptions – Pholoe assimilis. The highest values of population density (1130 specimens/m2) and biomass (570 mg/m2) were registered in comparatively warm coastal waters of Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Pholoe assimilis’ population size structure based on the dorsal width of the fifth chaetiger was investigated for the first time. Size-frequency histograms indicate presence of at least four size classes.

Pathophysiological substantiation of the specificity of ophthalmic morbidity in the Arctic region

Aim. To carry out a pathophysiological substantiation of the specificity of diseases of the organ of vision, developing under the influence of a complex of climatic and geographical factors of the Arctic region. Materials and methods. Using a retrospective epidemiological method of case-control study on the basis of branch No. 8 of FGKU 1469 VMKG of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, an analysis of the morbidity structure by ophthalmological profile for a three-year period (2018-2020) among military personnel aged 18 to 45 years military service in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, Belushya Guba village. The method of analytical observation and data recording was used to assess the complex of unfavorable climatic and geographical factors of the Arctic region on the example of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, Belushya Guba village. On the basis of an integral assessment of epidemiological and climatogeographic observations, a pathophysiological substantiation of the specificity of nosological groups of diseases of the organ of vision, developing under the influence of a complex of unfavorable factors of the Arctic region, is given. Results. The study involved 237 people. During the study period, 540 requests for ophthalmological help were registered. Of these, 64.26% are pathologies of inflammatory genesis, 32.6% are refractive disorders, 3.14% are diseases, the pathogenesis of which is associated with metabolic disorders in the body. The pathophysiological substantiation of the revealed morbidity structure according to the ophthalmological profile is due to the influence of a complex of unfavorable climatic and geographical factors of the Arctic region. Under the influence of wind and low temperatures, the structure of the tear film changes, the secretion of the meibomian glands becomes more viscous, as a result of which its concentration in the tear fluid decreases, and the eyes lose their protective barrier. The congealed secret clogs the ducts of the meibomian glands, which leads to their inflammation – meibomyitis. In turn, the insufficiency of the tear film provokes a decrease, and in more severe cases, a complete loss of natural tear production and the development of dry eye syndrome. The development of acute and chronic conjunctivitis is facilitated by a decrease in the reactivity of the body due to hypovitaminosis against the background of exposure to irritating climatic factors. With inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyelids, the frequency of inflammatory diseases of the lacrimal ducts and the lacrimal gland increases, which causes obstruction of the lacrimal tubules and hyperfunction of the lacrimal glands. On a polar night, the perception of bright lighting is aggravated, a long stay near which provokes the development of a spasm of accommodation and subsequently its habitual excessive stress. Lack of natural light during the polar night is a predisposing factor for the development of myopia. In addition, during the polar night, there is a high probability of developing A-vitamin deficiency, which results in impaired night vision, damage to the conjunctiva, and in more severe cases, the cornea. In the spring or early summer, when there is snow, and solar activity is high, the ultraviolet rays reflected from the snow enter the eyes, causing a retinal burn, ultraviolet ophthalmia develops. Conclusion. The impact of a complex of climatic and geographic factors of the Arctic region on the body provokes a restructuring of regulatory physiological processes and the launch of pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the emergence and development of inflammatory diseases of the eye and its accessory apparatus, refractive disorders, as well as pathology, which is based on metabolic disorders.