Russian-Norwegian ambient air monitoring in the border areas

MUGMS and
NILU use internationally well recognized state-ofthe-art methods for analyzing both SO2 and heavy metals. Concerning SO2, the monitoring methods and limit values are comparable. The sampling methods and limit values for heavy metals are different. It makes it challenging to compare the results for heavy metals. The expert group exchange information and knowledge, and try to achieve harmonized methods. Emissions of SO2 in ambient air have decreased over the last two decades, but elevated levels of SO2 were observed in Nikel and Zapoliarny, exceeding the Russian norms. Monitoring results from the Norwegian border areas show that the levels of SO2 were exceeding the Norwegian air quality standards. The levels of heavy metals did not exceed neither the Russian norms for heavy metals, nor the Norwegian annual mean target values for heavy metals. The registered levels of both SO2 and heavy metals in ambient air were higher at the Russian stations than the Norwegian stations. The Russian monitoring stations are located closer to the emission sources in Nikel and Zapoliarny.