Heavy metals in water, ice and biological material from Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Abstract

Concentrations of heavy metals Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg and Co were determined in surface waters, glacier ice and plant and animal materials from three regions in Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The concentrations of these metals in two samples of surface waters and in the vascular plants from Spitsbergen were found to be lower than what is commonly found in Cental Europe. Elevated concentrations were found in old ice from the surface of a glacier. The concentrations of heavy metals in algae were lower than in vascular plants. The concentrations of metals in the samples of feathers and animal hair from Spitsbergen were higher than what is common for Central Europe.