Being a natural sink, snow cover accumulates pollutants during the entire winter period, and, thus, it is a cumulative indicator of atmospheric pollution. The study of the snow cover shows that the cities of Irkutsk, Shelekhov, and Angarsk are polluted significantly. To evaluate the level of atmospheric pollution in the industrial centers of Southern Pribaikalye (Irkutsk, Angarsk, and Shelekhov), the elemental composition of the snow cover of 2020 was analyzed. According to the data obtained from the research, the total index of snow cover pollution, which characterizes the effect made by the group of elements, was calculated. The spatial distribution of the index for every single city is shown. The comparative characteristic of the level of atmospheric pollution in these cities is given.
|