Although Svalbard archipelago is considered as a natural laboratory for the environmental studies in the High Arctic, the knowledge on the transport and diversity of bioaerosols (aeroplankton) in the atmosphere is poorly recognized. To improve our knowledge about the aeroplankton over the Svalbard, we conducted a short-term study in the central part of the archipelago with a special focus on two important, but understudied in this region, airborne components: pollen grains and invertebrates. Aerobiological traps, three impact-type samplers and 12 pitfall-type water traps, were operated for a week of July 2022 at three sites located near Longyearbyen, the largest settlement of Svalbard. These sites, that is, Platåfjellet, Longyearbreen Glacier, and glacier valley, varied in the local sources of biological material and altitude. In total, 11 pollen taxa were isolated from pollen impactors. Most of them (68%) belonged to non-native plants, for example, Alnus sp., Betula sp., Picea abies, or Pinus sylvestris-type pollen. In pitfall-type water traps, we found invertebrates representing Acari (Prostigmata, Endeostigmata and Oribatida), Collembola ( Agrenia bidenticulata), Tardigrada (Eutardigrada) and Rotifera (Bdelloidea). The most taxa-rich site, both for pollen and invertebrates, was Platåfjellet, characterized by open landscape dominated by small cryptogams, mainly lichens and mosses, and sparse patches of vascular plants. Even though our sampling was short-term, we found diverse taxa belonged to native and alien species, indicating that both local and long-range transport shape aeroplankton composition and seeding of Arctic habitats. Long-term aerobiological monitoring in diverse ecosystems of Svalbard is needed to understand spatio-temporal influence of aeroplankton on ecosystems.

Measurements of pollutants scavenged from air masses over southern Svalbard in summer precipitation are presented. Rainfall was sampled in July and August 2002 at Calypsobyen, Bellsund. Specific conductivity (SpC) and pH were measured and ion concentrations were determined by ion chromatography. Ions of marine origin were subtracted, assuming that all chlorides were of marine origin. The FLEXTRA trajectory model was applied to discover the sources of air masses arriving at Svalbard and track the paths of pollutant transport. Average (v/w) rainfall pH was 4.94, mean SpC amounted to 34.8 µS cm-1. Total dissolved solids concentration (TDS) ranged from 12.6 to 67 mg L-1, with ions of marine origin (Cl-, Na+, Mg2+) prevailing. Rains with the highest percentage of marine salts occurred with winds from the East at above average velocities. Non-sea salt (nss) sulphate concentrations ranged from 0.5 µeq L-1 to 23 µeq L-1, (v/w) average was 17 µeq L-1. Nitrate concentrations ranged from 0 to 24 µeq L-1. The highest concentrations of nss-SO42- and NO3- were measured on 25 August, when the highest rainfall occurred (27 mm) and pH was the lowest (4.65). Rainfall at Calypsobyen deposited 194 kg km-2 of acidifying anions and 263 kg km-2 of base cations over the recording period. The polluted air masses were mostly from northern and central Europe. Rainfalls scavenging air masses formed over Greenland and Norwegian Seas displayed similar concentrations, being probably polluted by SOx and NOx from ship emissions.

The chemical composition of recent sediments of the Vygozero Reservoir, located in the North of Europe, in the Republic of Karelia (the catchment of Arctic Ocean), has been analysed. The level of enrichment and depletion of chemical elements, including trace elements, of the sediments relative to the Clarke numbers for the continental crust has been estimated. Elevated levels of Sb, Pb, Sn, Bi, W, Cu, and other elements in the sediments of the Vygozero Reservoir have been revealed in comparison with the concentrations of these elements in the background layers of the reservoir's sediments and their content in the sediments of small lakes of the south of the Republic of Karelia. It has been established that the main factor in the accumulation of these metals in the lake is the long-distance transport of pollutants from local anthropogenic sources located in Karelia, and from sources in neighbouring regions. In the vicinity of the town of Segezha, elevated V and Ni contents were revealed in the cores of the studied sediments, which indicates the impact on the reservoir of emissions from the fuel-oil thermal power plant. Based on the calculation of the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI), the level of pollution of the Vygozero Reservoir in the study areas was estimated. It was found that the northern part of the waterbody, where the settlements Segezha and Nadvoitsy and industrial enterprises associated with these towns are located, are subject to the greatest load.