engleski

Biomonitoring of mercury in the Kaštela Bay

Mercura enters into marine environment both by weathering of minerals and deposition from the atmosphere, and from many human activities. Much of the mercury introduced into the coastal sea is probably retained there because of very high insolubility of its compounds, such as the sulphides and oxides. Mercury deposited in marine sediments may be resuspended and transported on wider area, or may be transformed by microorganisms into soluble organic maercury. The Kaštela Bay, located in the central Adriatic coast, is heavily polluted by mercury. The main source of pollution was a chlor-alkali plant, which was operating in the period between 1949 and 1989. Thew estimated amounth of elemental mercury discharged into the Bay is in the range of 200 tonnes. Previous studies showed that mercury concencrated in the sediment in front of the plant is spreading all over the Bay. Remobilization of mercury may be harmful for marine organisms. This paper presents and discusses results obtained during one year of monitoring.

mercury; Kastela Bay

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