Abstract
The usefulness of trace element analysis of seaweeds for determining the distribution of heavy metals in fjord areas was investigated. Concentrations of zinc, copper, lead, cadmium and mercury were determined in the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum from two Norwegian fjords, Trondheimsfjord and Hardangerfjord. In both areas marked local variations in heavy metal concentrations in the seaweeds were observed, and in the Hardangerfjord maximum concentrations as high as 20–50 times normal levels were found for Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd. The highest value observed for mercury was 20 ppm of dry matter, while the normal level was below 0·1 ppm. In the narrow Hardangerfjord, levels of zinc, cadmium and mercury higher than normal were observed 90 km from the main source, while copper and lead reached normal levels 35 km from the source. The results indicate that trace element analysis of seaweeds is a useful and inexpensive method for evaluating the state of a marine recipient with regard to heavy metal contamination.
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