The results of 30 years of monitoring the condition of lakes on the Kola Peninsula led to the following conclusion: the number of lakes polluted with organic compounds has increased by almost 45%. Scientists from the Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (GEOKHI RAS) found that this is due to global climate change, causing an increase in average annual temperatures in the region.
Over the past two decades, the number of “productive” reservoirs on the Kola Peninsula has doubled, writes RT. The term “productive” refers to lakes containing increased amounts of organic matter, phosphorus and nitrogen. This change, the researchers say, is a result of global warming, which is affecting even lakes far from industrial sites and populated areas.
The study also revealed a decrease in the number of “unproductive” lakes characterized by low levels of nutrients. These changes, according to scientists, are associated with increased fluxes of phosphorus from watersheds. This is especially noticeable in lakes of the forest-tundra and northern taiga zones, which indicates an increase in the intensity of processes contributing to the composition of water in the region.
Pollution of natural bodies of water with organic substances, as well as phosphorus and nitrogen, can disrupt the balance of the ecosystem, contribute to water blooms and have a negative impact on water quality and the biodiversity of Arctic water systems.
Source: Rosbalt
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