MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. The Clean Arctic project's scientific and ecological expedition studies lichens to assess pollution degree on Cape Chelyuskin, which is Eurasia's northernmost mainland point. The expedition participants will collect at least 70 samples of soil, water, lichens and polar bear fur, the project's press service said.

"Lichens are a very expressive test object for assessing pollution," the press service quoted researcher at the Dokuchaev Soil Institute, and expert of the Moscow State University's Geography Department Danila Bardashov as saying. "We are selecting species with a bushy life form, for example, representatives of the genus cetraria (also known as Iceland moss), since their layer can be easily separated from the substrate, and they provide sufficient biomass for tests. The lichen, as a very vulnerable organism in harsh physical conditions, is forced to assimilate all the mineral elements that are available around, thus it accumulates heavy metals very actively as well."

Biologists have special interest in the species composition of lichens, which form up to 80% of the soil organic mass and serve as a primary link in the food chain of Arctic animals. It is for the first time that the expedition combines several directions at a time: the elimination of accumulated environmental damage, and the study of Arctic flora and fauna.

"Arctic ecosystems are distinguished by their nondescript appearance, but at the same time they have extremely high biodiversity," the scientist continued. "We can see that lichens on the cape make such a colorful carpet of different species, genera and life forms. Thus, extremely high biological diversity is possible even in a small area, and we need to preserve and increase this biodiversity."

Lichens, like sponges, absorb all mineral elements from the environment, including heavy metals, and thus lichens serve as harbingers of changes long before human eye may notice them. Further on, the collected samples will undergo mass spectrometry, which will separate elements according to their spectral properties and identify the concentration of pollutants. Along with the research of lichens, scientists are sampling the soil cover. The main sources of pollution in that territory are metal barrels.

"Cape Chelyuskin is a living proof that life is possible at the limit of physical capabilities," the expert said in conclusion. "Restoring Cape Chelyuskin's ecosystems is an investment in the future of the planet, in climate resilience and in the diversity of such vulnerable regions. The entire Arctic biotic community cannot function without lichens. A change in the species composition and in conditions of lichens indicates beginning changes long before any external and visible signs may appear."

About the project

The Clean Arctic Public Environmental Project has been cleaning the northern territories since 2021. The volunteers focus on objects, left since the USSR times. Waste removal is a complex technological work, where the movement teams work carefully minding the Arctic nature. Over all seasons, the project's almost 10,000 volunteers have collected 22,000 tons of waste and cleaned 1,100 hectares of land. The project's general partner is the Rosatom State Corporation, and TASS is the general information partner.