The effect of discharges from three industrialized estuaries on the distribution of heavy metals in the coastal sediments of the North Sea

Abstract

The distribution of eleven heavy metals in coastal sediments extending from the Scottish border to the Wash has been studied with the object of assessing the environmental impact of industrial wastes discharged into the highly developed estuaries of the Tyne, Tees and Humber. The results indicate that the geology of the area can be a more important factor than the industrial input in deciding the metal content of marine sediments.