The paper is a logical continuation of the study of the chemical composition of natural waters in various regions of the Murmansk region and their impact on human health. The relevance of such studies is driven by the elevated incidence of diseases in the Murmansk region. Monitoring of groundwater in the Apatity-Kirovsky district has been carried out using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The paper presents the results of a hygienic assessment of groundwater from the Khibiny Massif based on the concentrations of macro- and microelements. The aim of the study is to evaluate the chemical composition of groundwater in relation to the criteria for physiologically adequate drinking waters, selected from the underground water intake and after transportation through the water supply networks. It has been established that the drinking water supplied to the population of the Apatity-Kirovsky district, both in its natural state and at the point of delivery to consumers, does not have a balanced, physiologically complete composition in terms of the content of major macro- and microelements (magnesium, calcium, bicarbonates) and the value of total mineralization, and therefore cannot be recognized as physiologically complete. Calcium and magnesium concentrations are about three orders of magnitude lower than the recommended values for waters of different categories and by the criterion of completeness. Due to the low calcium concentration, there is a need to revise the regional maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) for strontium. The waters contain rare and rare-earth elements (Zr, La, Ce, Th, etc.) for which MPCs have not been developed, and the effects of these elements on the human organism are still not sufficiently studied.
The integration of modernized emanation surveys and seismic exploration is an effective tool for diagnosing the geodynamic activity of rock masses. In 2023, experimental and methodological integrated geophysical surveys were conducted at the Severopeschanskaya mine site (Sverdlovsk region, Krasnoturyinsk). The unique properties of radon and thoron determine their use as natural indicators of recent geodynamics. An improved emanation survey technique allows for the rapid (without lengthy monitoring) identification of the geodynamic component of radon field formation, zones of tensile and compressive deformation in rock masses, and the delineation and ranking of active deformation zones by hazard. Seismic exploration studies provide information on the distribution of elastic properties of rocks in the section and the location of structural heterogeneities. The results of comprehensive experimental and methodological geophysical studies demonstrate that radon anomalies correlate with deep structural heterogeneities identified by seismic exploration; the obtained data are confirmed by prior geological and geodetic information. The proposed integrated approach eliminates the limitations of radon measurements and significantly improves the information content of geodynamic diagnostics performed to ensure the safety of subsoil use facilities.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have marker properties and serve as indicators of pollution sources associated with natural or man-made processes. During the extraction of PAHs from model mixtures using various solvents, it has been found that the use of n-hexane ensures high efficiency of compound extraction from surface water samples taken in areas with different anthropogenic loads (extract weight of 400–1900 µg/L). Using high-performance liquid chromatography, individual PAHs have been identified and their total content in the samples has been determined. Water from the area affected by the oil spill contains 0.25–0.37 µg/L PAHs, 78 % of which are low-molecular compounds (naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene). In waters from the area where oil production facilities are located, the total content is determined in the range of 0.40–1.10 µg/L; the main contribution (77 %) is made by high-molecular compounds [fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene]. Surface waters from coal mining areas contain PAHs in amounts of 0.24–0.88 µg/l; the presence of dibenz(a,h)anthracene (0.01–0.05 µg/l) has been noted in them. When calculating indicator ratios, it has been determined that the sources of PAH entry into surface waters from oil spill and coal mining areas are mainly natural, petrogenic and pyrogenic in nature. In areas with a load from the activities of oil producing enterprises, the entry of PAHs is caused by both petrogenic (fluid influx from strata) and anthropogenic (spill or combustion of oil products) processes.
The stability of an earth dam may be compromised by water erosion and seepage, which primarily affect the distribution of specific electrical resistivity within the dam's soil. This paper presents the results of complex geophysical electrical surveys of the dam body conducted to monitor potential water seepage through its clay screen. The study presents investigations using two electrical survey methods: the self-potential method and electrical tomography. The self-potential method is a passive electrical survey method that determines the potentials arising in the rock mass due to the transport of charges by moving water flows. Analysis of the self-potential field method data has identified a zone of high potential values – the length of this section exceeds 400 m, and the potential values exceed 60 mV. Electrical tomography allows the structure of the rock mass to be determined based on the distribution of the specific electrical resistivity of the rocks. The results of the electrical tomography have indicated that the dam body and the bedrock at its foundation are saturated with water almost everywhere. Processing and interpretation of the measurement data have made it possible to identify potential problem areas for water seepage.
The paper considers the possible correlation of the rocks of the Chervurt Formation in the Kolmozero-Voron'ya zone with its constituent supracrustal complexes and the formations of the adjacent Keivy domain, as well as the role that metasedimentary rocks of the upper part of this zone's section played in the formation history of the Keivy median massif. The study has employed the authors' original method for assessing statistically significant patterns in petrogeochemical characteristics, which has yielded good results in solving such problems, as previously demonstrated by the authors in a number of publications devoted to the correlation of supracrustal complexes of the Bolshiye Keivy and Malyye Keivy structures. The presented data allow us to conclude that the Chervurt rocks of the Kolmozero-Voron'ya zone are most similar to the metasedimentary complexes of the Keivy domain, and within them, to the rocks of the Upper Chervurt Subformation. This is also indicated by other clearly manifested patterns previously noted by the authors for the Upper Chervurt Subformation of the Keivy structure. It is also shown that the rocks of the Chervurt formation of the Kolmozero-Voron'ya belt are compositionally most distant from other complexes constituting this zone, primarily the Lyavozero complex, with which some researchers have attempted to correlate them. Taking into account these data, as well as information on the age of the rocks composing the Keivy domain and the Kolmozero-Voron'ya greenstone belt, and the authors' previously obtained data on the possible formation settings of certain Keivy formations, a model for the final stage of the formation of the Keivy median massif has been proposed.
