Trace metals in estuarine sediments from the southwestern Spanish coast

The impact of river-transported metal pollution and industrial wastes on th e metal distribution (Cr, Cu, Zn. Pb) in estuarine sediments was studied in the southwestern Spanish estuaries, Intertidal and subtidal surface sedime nts of the Tinto-Odiel Estuary are very highly polluted by heavy metals, wi th geoaccumulation indices up to 4 in the three sedimentary environments st udied (channel, channel border and salt marsh), The single exception is the Punta Umbria channel, very protected from the point sources by salt marsh deposits and hydraulic processes. In the remaining two estuaries, pollution (Pb, Cn) was only significant near the harbour situated in the Piedras riv er mouth, whereas very low values were found in the Guadiana Estuary, In th ese last rivers, the enrichment factor increases from the channel to the sa lt marsh sediments, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd, All rights reserved.