Samples of meltwater collected in the North Pole were transferred to a lab of the Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NARFU), which will study the pollutants of the Arctic environment, the university's press service reports. NARFU Vice-Rector for Research and Doctor of Biology Boris Filippov collected meltwater samples during a conference on board the NS 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) icebreaker.

"The ice of the high-altitude Arctic contains long-term accumulations of pollutants, which makes it possible to see their dynamics over several years. The farther north the material is collected, the more interesting it is. Now the scientists of NARFU's Arktika center for collective use of research equipment and Moscow State University's analytical chemistry department will study organic pollutants in meltwater samples, above all those originating from human activity," the report reads.

The study is conducted as part of a project on improving the methodology of mass-spectrometric screening, identification and determination of priority pollutants of the Arctic environment. This project received a grant from the Russia Science Foundation.

The conference devoted to 40 years since the NS Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker reached the North Pole took place aboard the 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker run by Atomflot, on August 13-23. It was attended by representatives of the State Duma, the Federation Council, Rosatom State Corporation and polar explorers of different generations.