Articles | Volume 13, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2075-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2075-2019
Research article
 | 
29 Jul 2019
Research article |  | 29 Jul 2019

Airborne radionuclides and heavy metals in high Arctic terrestrial environment as the indicators of sources and transfers of contamination

Edyta Łokas, Agata Zaborska, Ireneusz Sobota, Paweł Gaca, J. Andrew Milton, Paweł Kocurek, and Anna Cwanek

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Cited articles

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Short summary
Cryoconite granules built of mineral particles, organic substances and living organisms significantly influence fluxes of energy and matter at glacier surfaces. They contribute to ice melting, give rise to an exceptional ecosystem, and effectively trap contaminants. This study evaluates contamination levels of radionuclides in cryoconite from Arctic glaciers and identifies sources of this contamination, proving that cryoconite is an excellent indicator of atmospheric contamination.