Heavy metals and Zn isotope ratios in the snow of the Karabash copper smelting area (Southern Urals, Russia)

Abstract

This work presents the first results of winter fieldworks aimed at the assessment of heavy metal content and Zn isotope composition in the snow cover of a smelting area in South Ural. Twenty one snowpacks were sampled at the end of the winter 2018 in the vicinity (1.0-95 km) of the copper smelter of the Karabash town (South Ural, Russia). The snow samples were analyzed for major and trace element composition using ICP-MS and ICP-OES techniques. Zn isotope analysis was performed by MC-ICP-MS with preliminary chromatographic purification. pH and water hardness values were obtained as well. Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Sr enrichment factors were calculated. The contaminant particles in snow were established to have been derived from the technogenic source through the distances up to 95 km from the industrial smelting area.