MIGRATION OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS IN PARTICULATE MATTER OF THE URBAN ATMOSPHERE

Study was undertaken to investigate the distribution of rare-earth elements in the urban atmosphere northern city of Yakutsk. The chemical composition of atmospheric particulate matter was examined in summer and winter (snow cover). The results indicate that in summer of rare-earth elements primarily concentrate in the dust fraction of particulate matter, together with siderophile elements. Wintertime particulate matter is more dispersed. The average of rare-earth elements concentrations are 0.0n-10n in summer particulate matter and 0.0n-n mg/kg in winter particulate matter. In the soil-particulate matter dust-particulate matter snow, there is a uniform decrease in of rare-earth elements concentration and a gradual reduction in the La/Y ratio. The bulk of atmospheric of rare-earth elements (about 99%) is deposited during summer. The average deposition flux for the city is 625 μg/m2·day, primarily consisting of La, Ce, Nd and Y. In the northern, industrial part of Yakutsk with more contrasting anomalies, the flux is two to three times higher. The total of rare-earth elements deposition in Yakutsk comprises approximately 1.2·10-2 % of the annual atmospheric deposition of pollutants.