ARKHANGELSK, February 4. /TASS/. Students of the Arctic Floating Universities' Winter School in Arkhangelsk will study what pollutants may be found in the Arctic snow, will learn to identify microplastics in bottom sediments and will learn more about the Arctic's flora and fauna, a TASS correspondent reported.
The Winter School that opened at the Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU) has two tracks - the Arctic and Subarctic biodiversity, and the Arctic pollutants. As many as 36 students and postgraduates from ten cities, not all of them are Arctic cities, have come to Arkhangelsk.
"For three days, students and postgraduates from 10 Russian cities, 36 people totally, will learn key aspects related to the Arctic and Subarctic flora and fauna. The Pollutants track will have a big practical block, where the students will study how to analyze various environmental objects, such as snow, for heavy metals, organic pollutants and microplastics," the Arctic Floating University's expedition leader Alexander Saburov told TASS. "We've had a big competition, about five applicants per place, and we have selected 36 students from Arkhangelsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Khanty-Mansiysk, Kazan, Ryazan, and Apatity."
The Winter School will identify most involved students ready to participate in the Arctic expeditions. Ekaterina Golubeva is a second-year graduate student at the Russian State Hydrometeorology University. During the Floating University's expedition in 2024, she studied microplastics in the Barents Sea. She plans to continue the research, and now to study microplastics in animal organisms. "I want to continue studying microplastics, my master's thesis is related to the Barents Sea pollution. The next stage would be the post-graduate studies, where I'll need more in-depth research, and now I want to study the Arctic biodiversity and to combine results of my work on microplastics with this track, and I plan to study microplastics in animals, mainly in birds," she told TASS.
Snow reflects air conditions
Young scientists are invited to theoretical and practical classes, tours to the university labs and centers. After a lecture, the Pollution track participants sampled snow at different locations around the university to identify various pollutants and compare their contents. They will be using equipment of the university's Arctic Center for Collective Use of Scientific Equipment - highly sensitive equipment to determine very small concentrations of various substances.
"Snow is a very interesting object. In fact, snow is a mirror of the atmosphere. Pollutants get from the atmosphere into the snow, get accumulated there, and we call this the deposition matrix," the Arctic Center's Deputy Director General Alexander Kozhevnikov told TASS. "By tomorrow, the snow will melt, the students will study it, they will use an untypical method - X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy of total external reflection. This method is applicable for just a drop of water. The device is quite expensive, many elements may be detected on a drop of water, about ten of them. "
The project is implemented by Russia's Ministry of Science and Higher Education as part of the country's Decade of Science and Technology. According to the expedition leader, Saburov, during the Winter School students will learn about the Arctic and will gain new skills, and also, possibly, will choose supervisors for further scientific works. "I study ecology at NAFU, and my diploma is on the Arctic biodiversity. I study fungi on the Solovetsky Archipelago," the university's student Alisa Shchetinina told TASS. "At the Winter School, I want to learn about the Arctic biodiversity from other angles, but not only this, as I also want to meet people in different fields, to learn more about organizational issues, including expeditions."
The Arctic Floating University is a joint project of the Northern Arctic Federal University and the national hydrometeorology service's Northern branch (Sevhydromet). The expeditions continue since 2012, and more than 800 students, postgraduates and scientists have participated in them. The project is among Russia's top 100 achievements under the Russia - Country of Achievements project.