Spatial distribution of anthropogenic impurities from large stationary sources in the Baikal Natural Territory on the coast of Lake Baikal

Abstract

This work presents the chemical composition of snow from the Baikal region in 2019. We analyzed snow sampled along the Irkutsk-Listvyanka highway, in the delta of the Selenga River and the Baikal State Nature Biosphere Reserve. We studied the spatial distribution of sulfates and nitrates from large industrial centres in the south of the Irkutsk Region and the Republic of Buryatia along the direction of the prevailing air mass transport. We determined the factors that affect the change in the chemical composition of snow waters both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Using the calculations of dispersal of anthropogenic impurities from large source cities (HSPLIT), we determined the percentage of adverse meteorological situations, during which emissions from regional anthropogenic sources can reach the coast of Lake Baikal. The study aimed to update the information about the effect of large objects of atmospheric pollution located in the Baikal Natural Territory on the chemical composition of the atmosphere in the Baikal region.