Assessing and geostatistical mapping of metal contamination in the polar arable plot (Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Russia)

The agricultural industry in the Arctic region is benefiting from climate mitigation, but agricultural lands in northern urban areas face additional anthropogenic impacts. This study evaluated the content and spatial distribution of heavy metals (HM) and key oxides in a partially abandoned experimental arable land in Salekhard city (Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Russia). The concentrations of 11 elements (oxides): strontium (Sr), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese oxide (MnO), chromium (Cr), vanadium (V), iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in the 0–10-cm layer were determined. The spatial correlation of elements was assessed using semi-variogram analysis. The results showed that Sr, Pb, As, Zn, Ni, Co, MnO, Cr, V, Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂ contents ranged from 160 to 247 mg/kg, 4 to 30 mg/kg, 7 to 18 mg/kg, 35 to 80 mg/kg, 17 to 29 mg/kg, 0 to 16 mg/kg, 333 to 499 mg/kg, 71 to 140 mg/kg, 73 to 117 mg/kg, 2.8 to 4.6% and 0.5 to 1%, respectively. We found that approximately all properties exceeded the background values, but the average values of almost all elements did not exceed the maximum permissible concentrations levels, except for arsenic. The digital large-scale maps of study elements were produced using ordinary kriging approach, which allowed us to identify the spatial patterns.