MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. By monitoring ocean currents specialists may identify contamination sources outside the Russian Arctic zone, Director of the Arctic Center for Strategic Studies at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University Alexander Saburov said at a news conference at TASS, which was devoted to complex studies in the Russian Arctic zone.
The scientist focused on studies to locate sources of pollution, related to pharmaceutical substances and their use, which currents are bringing into the Arctic.
"Clearly, they (pharmaceutical substances - TASS) are brought there, most likely, with the atmosphere flows and the ocean currents," he said. "Processes outside the Arctic affect directly that region, and, of course, it is most important to conduct a permanent monitoring and to study those phenomena."
According to him, the university's center for joint use of scientific equipment ("Arktika") has been screening the area to identify atypical sources.
The recycling of industrial waste accumulating around industrial enterprises is one of the main problems for the Arctic. Due to the peculiar air circulation in the Arctic, pollutants, gas and aerosol impurities (including those emitted by pharmaceutical substances) get accumulated in its atmosphere.
Environment-related aspects are among the Russian Federation's priorities for the Arctic Council, which the country is chairing presently. Earlier, Minister for Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunov stressed the Arctic is a region undertaking the main burden from climate change.