The specific activity of natural gamma emitters like actinium (228Ac), bismuth (212Bi, 214Bi), lead (212Pb, 214Pb), potassium (40K), radium (224Ra), thallium (208Tl) and artificial radioisotope caesium (137Cs) was measured in 2005 in the surface layer of marine sediments in the northern Svalbard: Wijdefjorden, Woodfjorden, Vestfjorden and Bockfjorden as well as in the freshwater reservoirs in Andre Land. Nonuniform spatial distribution of these radionuclides was found. Sediment sample from Bockfjorden had the highest specific activities of all natural radionuclides. The specific radioactivity of 137Cs was much lower than specific radioactivities of natural radionuclides but there were differences between investigated locations. The distribution of 137Cs is similar to persistent organic pollutants of the lake sediments in the area.

The chemical composition of recent sediments of the Vygozero Reservoir, located in the North of Europe, in the Republic of Karelia (the catchment of Arctic Ocean), has been analysed. The level of enrichment and depletion of chemical elements, including trace elements, of the sediments relative to the Clarke numbers for the continental crust has been estimated. Elevated levels of Sb, Pb, Sn, Bi, W, Cu, and other elements in the sediments of the Vygozero Reservoir have been revealed in comparison with the concentrations of these elements in the background layers of the reservoir's sediments and their content in the sediments of small lakes of the south of the Republic of Karelia. It has been established that the main factor in the accumulation of these metals in the lake is the long-distance transport of pollutants from local anthropogenic sources located in Karelia, and from sources in neighbouring regions. In the vicinity of the town of Segezha, elevated V and Ni contents were revealed in the cores of the studied sediments, which indicates the impact on the reservoir of emissions from the fuel-oil thermal power plant. Based on the calculation of the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI), the level of pollution of the Vygozero Reservoir in the study areas was estimated. It was found that the northern part of the waterbody, where the settlements Segezha and Nadvoitsy and industrial enterprises associated with these towns are located, are subject to the greatest load.