Abstract
Studies have been carried out at sites in British estuaries, covering a wide spectrum of conditions and metal concentrations, in order to recognize factors affecting the distribution and biological availability of arsenic and mercury under natural conditions. Water analyses confirm the importance of particulate iron hydroxides and organic material as the predominant binding substrates for As and Hg respectively. Statistical correlations provide evidence that sediment-bound As and Hg are the major source of these elements to the deposit-feeding bivalves Scrobicularia plana and Macoma balthica. to specific binding substrates is used to produce simple predictive models of availability.
A simple estuarine classificatory index comparing the impact of different forms of As and Hg contamination is discussed.
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© 1985 Plenum Press, New York
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Langston, W.J. (1985). Assessment of the Distribution and Availability of Arsenic and Mercury in Estuaries. In: Wilson, J.G., Halcrow, W. (eds) Estuarine Management and Quality Assessment. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9418-5_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9418-5_13
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