The distribution of dissolved Cu, Zn, Ni, Co and Cr in English coastal surface waters

The distribution of trace metals was determined in coastal waters around En gland during cruises in December 1993 (CH108), October 1994 (CH115), Januar y 1995 (CH117) and April 1995 (CH118). Cu and Ni distributions were pronoun cedly influenced by mixing of river waters with seawater during CH108 coinc iding with seasonally enhanced freshwater inputs, but less so during the su bsequent cruises. These seasonal variations indicate the importance of proc esses other than conservative mixing on the distributions of Cu and Ni: ben thic and atmospheric inputs, removal by biological uptake and particle scav enging. This paper is one of the first to report on coastal dissolved Cr di stributions. Non-conservative behaviour was observed for Clr (CH108), with generally low concentrations which were attributed to particle scavenging. Dissolved Zn exhibited a non-conservative behaviour during the spring and l ate summer cruises, suggesting that processes other than mixing between wat er masses was influencing its behaviour. Co showed non-conservative behavio ur during the late summer cruise (CH115), which was attributed to the influ ence of benthic inputs and particle scavenging on its distribution. (C) 199 9 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.