Glahder, Christian M., Asmund, Gert. 2007. NERI Technical Report No. 614, 28 pp.
Summary
This third monitoring study was carried out in the Nalunaq gold mining area, Nanortalik municipality, <st1:place w:st="on">South Greenland</st1:place> , between 2 and 9 August 2006. Three shipments of ore had been transported to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region> for gold extraction since the last monitoring study performed in August-September 2005.
Blue mussels, brown seaweed and shorthorn sculpin were sampled at four to five marine stations in the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kirkespir</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType> , resident Arctic char were sampled in the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kirkespir</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType> and lichens Cetraria nivalis were collected at 20 stations in the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kirkespir</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType> and along the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kirkespir</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> (Fig. 1). Samples were analysed for 12 elements (Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, As, Se, Co, Mo and Au) and the results were compared both with background levels from 1998-2001 and the results from the two former monitoring studies in 2004 and 2005.
No elevated concentrations were found in blue mussels and shorthorn sculpin livers, while brown seaweed had slightly elevated concentrations of Co at one sampling station. Thus, element elevations were very few in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kirkespir</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bay</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> indicating a very low impact on the marine environment in 2006. Compared to higher concentrations in mainly seaweed in 2004 and 2005 the concentrations of metals appear gradually to have become less from 2004 to 2006.
In resident Arctic char livers, average Cd concentrations were elevated twice. Cr and Co were slightly elevated in 2004, while no elevations were found in 2005. Thus, during the three years period only minor elevations of Cr, Cd and Co have been seen.
In lichens, elevated concentrations of Cu, Cr, As and Co between 2 and 15 times above the background concentrations were found at the waste rock depot and in the camp area. Elevated concentrations in the two areas in 2006 were not significantly different from those found in 2005. Concentrations of the four metals in lichens from the waste rock depot were in 2006 significantly lower than concentrations in lichens from the camp area; in 2005 a significant difference was seen only in arsenic. The contamination of Cu, Cr and Co from the road was significantly smaller in 2006 than in 2005, but concentrations above the background level can, as in 2005, be found to a distance of about 1000 m from the road.
As in the two previous years, an impact from the mining activities on the local environment could be seen in 2006, primarily in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kirkespir</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> from dust dispersal. The impact from the road was in 2006 lower than in 2005. In the river and in the bay element elevations were very few and the impacted area was smaller than previous years.
To evaluate the rate of dust pollution from the different sources, it is recommended that the year to year variation in lichen contamination is measured by transplanting lichens from an uncontaminated area to 5-10 stations in the Nalunaq area.
