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Regional Monitoring of Hydrocarbon Levels (Grönfjord, the Greenland Sea)
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  • A G Aleksandrova,
  • N A Chekmeneva,
  • N V Aleksandrova,
  • A S Demeshkin
A G Aleksandrova
Far Eastern Branch, V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
N A Chekmeneva
Federal State Budgetary Institution "State Oceanographic Institute named after N. N. Zubov
N V Aleksandrova
Institute of International Trade and Sustainable Development of Moscow State Institute for International Relations, MGIMO University)
A S Demeshkin
North-Western Branch of Research and Production Association "Typhoon"; Saint Petersburg

Abstract

This study assessed total hydrocarbon content and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content in Grönfjord (the Greenland Sea, Svalbard). The field study was held in marine expeditions of research vessel “Barentsburg” by the North-Western Branch of the Federal State Budget Institution, Research and Production Associaton «Typhoon» in summer periods of 2012 to 2022. In the framework of the field works simultaneous measurements of hydrological and hydrochemical characteristics of the water column were done. The data was analyzed using standard procedure in purpose to gather new information about the levels of hydrocarbons    (measured as total hydrocarbon contents), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The results showed pronounced interannual variations of total hydrocarbon contents and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations. Supposed that local natural sources contribute to elevated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and total hydrocarbon content levels both in water and in sediments,  the levels of contamination do not signify exclusively anthropogenic influence on the sea-body. At the same time, some local elevated petroleum hydrocarbons concentrations, which were detected in the surface water layer, may be a sign of existing industrial activity affecting the waters of the fjord. Continuity of tasks starting from earlier expeditions indicates that many processes in the Norwegian Sea, Greenland Sea require further research.
30 Jan 2024Submitted to ESS Open Archive
01 Feb 2024Published in ESS Open Archive