Mercury in north-eastern Atlantic Ocean water.

Abstract

FEW measurements have been made of the concentration of mercury in sea water and there are considerable differences in the values reported. High values of 1.6 to 3.6 µg total Hg/l. for oxidized samples from Minamata Bay, Japan1, probably reflect the serious pollution of that area2. Ocean water from the north-western Pacific has been reported3 to contain from 0.06 to 0.27 µg/l., with the highest concentrations in deep water. These measurements were made spectrophotometrically with dithizone, which was also used, in different conditions following anion exchange concentration, in the analysis of waters from the Solent and the English Channel4. These were found to contain lower amounts of mercury, from 0.014 to 0.021 µg/l., which are quite similar to that (0.03 µg/l.) found for a single sample from off Heligoland in the early work of Stock and Cucuel5.