ASSESSMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATION COMPOSITION IN THE TERRITORY OF FINLAND AND KARELIA REPUBLIC USING MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS METHODS
The relevance of the research is caused by the need for a reliable assessment of atmospheric precipitation composition, monitoring of anthropogenic impact on the environment, as well as identifying and recognizing sources of pollution. The article analyzes the data collected in Finland and the Republic of Karelia at the beginning of the 2000s as a part of the international project «Ecogeochemistry of the Barents region». These initial data are valuable as the collection of atmospheric precipitation samples, their preparation and analytical processing were carried out strictly according to a unified methodology. This work is a continuation of previous studies in which the composition of atmospheric precipitation of the Russian part of this project was analyzed.The main aim of the research is to study and compare the chemical speciation of atmospheric precipitation of several observation stations in the territory of Finland and the Republic of Karelia, to evaluate possible sources of their pollution, to classify observation points and identify associations of chemical elements in atmospheric precipitation.Objects: five collection stations of atmospheric precipitation on the territory of Finland and two stations in the Republic of Karelia. Methods: monthly collecting of atmospheric precipitation samples and preparing these samples according to a unified methodology, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, mathematical processing of the results using in-depth methods of multivariate statistical analysis, generalization of the material.The results of the analysis of formation of atmospheric precipitation chemical composition in the territory of Finland and in the territory of the Republic of Karelia within the framework of the project «Ecogeochemistry of the Barents Region» by using hierarchical factor analysis showed the determining value of several different first-order factors having common sources of origin. Specific and volatile products of fuel consumption, marine, earth and soil aerosols are shown as sources of atmospheric precipitation composition. Second-order factors revealed two independent sets of ingredients inherent in the chemical composition of the atmospheric precipitation of the considered observation points in winter and summer. The classification of observation points by means of clustering analysis showed the degree of differ- ence between these stations. In addition, a cluster analysis of the elemental composition of APs revealed a pattern similar to the results of hierarchical factor analysis of the distribution of chemical ingredients in the atmospheric precipitation of the territory.