Neutron activation analysis for monitoring northern terrestrial ecosystems

New experimental data have been obtained on heavy metal and rare-earth element concentrations in environmental objects, namely pine needles and soils, caused by atmospheric pollution in different regions of the Kola Peninsula. The investigation was performed with the use of epithermal neutron activation analysis at the IBR-2 fast pulsed reactor. The analysis of nearly 40 element distributions in pine needles and soils from the studied geographical points testifies of a strong contamination source - the nickel smelting complex in Monchegorsk. The contamination levels for Ni, Co, Cr, Se, and others are also high and may be hazardous for this region population because some of these elements are carcinogenic. 6 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs