SOME OBSERVATIONS ON SURFACE PARTITIONING OF CD, CU, AND ZN IN ESTUARIES

The variations in K-d (the partition coefficient) of Cd, Cu, and Zn fr om several water bodies were reviewed. A surface adsorption model invo lving the ratio of particulate to dissolved metals, particulate iron c oncentration, total dissolved solids, and pH was developed from data c ollected from the Savannah River Estuary. The model was also appled to the Medway River Estuary. The,empirical model is simple and allows on e to calculate the relation between dissolved and total metals or K-d for different environmental conditions from a particular water body. D ata from the San Francisco Bay and New York/New Jersey Harbor area wer e also reviewed, and the variation of K-d from these different water b odies is discussed briefly.