EVALUATION OF THE ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUX OF METALLIC POLLUTANTS INTO PUCK BAY, SOUTHERN BALTIC

Distributions of 15 elements with depth in two sediment cores from Puc k Bay in the Gulf of Gdansk show that Ag, Cd, Pb, Zn and possibly Cu a nd Ni are anthropogenically enriched in the sediments there. The conce ntrations of these elements decrease sharply with depth in the sedimen t column and the elements are preferentially enriched in the < 2 mu m size fraction of the sediment. The sequence of element enrichment depe nds on whether the enrichment factor (EF) and the anthropogenic factor (AF) are used to calculate the element enrichment. By contrast, the a nthropogenic elements show no systematic decrease in concentration wit h depth in a sediment core taken from near the mouth of the Vistula Ri ver. This reflects the higher sedimentation rate there such that the e ntire upper 20 cm of the core was deposited during the major, post-war period of industrialization in Poland. In addition, these elements ar e enriched in the 2-63 mu m fraction compared to the < 2 mu m fraction in these sediments. This suggests that the heavy metals are mainly ad sorbed on Fe oxyhydroxide particles with diameters greater than 2 mu m at the hydrological front where Vistula river water mixes with bracki sh Baltic water. It appears that heavy-metal pollution of sediments in parts of Puck Bay may be greater than that near the mouth of the Vist ula River which may reflect, in part, the higher sedimentation rate ne ar the mouth of the Vistula River. The mode of incorporation of heavy- metals into the sediments in the two areas may also be different. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.