Sedimentary records of heavy metals in the industrial harbour of Portovesme, Sardinia (Italy)

The anthropogenic fluxes of Hg, Cd, Pb and Zn were determined in four sedim ent cores collected in the harbour of Portovesme, Italy, facing an industri al area containing a lead-zinc smelter, an aluminium production plant and a coal-fired power generation plant. The analytical results and the radiodat ing of sediment cores show extremely high concentrations of Hg and Cd in th e sediments that can be ascribed mostly to the discharge of the liquid effl uent from the smelter since the late 1960s. Based on the different extracta bility of metal species, the anthropic origin of metal pollution as well as the risk of remobilisation of the metals into the marine environment is hi ghlighted. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.