Assessment of ecological risk of heavy metal load in the Kongsfjorden, Fjord, Svalbard in the Arctic environment using multivariate pollution indices

Kongsfjorden's spatial distribution and heavy metal load were measured in order to assess the changing Arctic fjord system. Heavy metal concentrations in sediment samples ranged from 0.10 to 242.91 µg/g, with the following order: Mn > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > As > Cd. Notably, station BB-9 recorded a Cd concentration of 0.58 ± 0.01 µg/g, which is slightly higher than the SanPiN maximum permissible level of 0.5 µg/g. However, our results are close to the Arctic sediment quality guidelines (ASQGs) of 0.6 µg/g, indicating that these elements can rarely cause adverse biological effects but could have an impact if bioaccumulation persists. PCA showed significant correlation between Cd and station BB-9, suggesting a significant pathway for metal input into the marine environment through glacial meltwater and/or atmospheric deposition. Furthermore, multivariate pollution indices indicated that Cd exhibited the high contamination levels (Igeo: 1.96; Cf: 5.83; Cdeg: 8.8), classifying the site as moderately contaminated, while the Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI: 188.06) pointed to a high ecological risk. Overall, this study provides important insights into heavy metal accumulation in the climate-sensitive, high-latitude Kongsfjorden fjord, contributing to a potential future change in Arctic environment.