The water condition of the small rivers of the Murmansk region is critical, according to a Roshydromet review on the state and pollution of the environment in 2022.
Compounds of nickel, iron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, as well as other metals and chemical elements have been preserved as characteristic pollutants of the waters of small rivers of the Murmansk region for a long time.
Wastewater from mining, processing and metallurgical industries have the most negative impact on water quality. In particular, the Haukilampijoki, Kolosjoki, Nyuduai, Belaya, Mozhel, Kovdora, Sergevan and Bolshoy Vudyavr Lake rivers are heavily polluted. Their waters have remained at the "dirty" level for many years, and some water bodies are "extremely dirty".
"The contamination of water of small rivers of the Kola Peninsula, experiencing a constant load of wastewater from industrial enterprises and housing and communal services with a low ability of self-purification in the Arctic, has been chronic for a number of decades. The water condition of the small rivers of the Kola Peninsula is in critical condition," the review says.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
