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Mercury in the Tinto-Odiel Estuarine System (Gulf of Cádiz, Spain): Sources and Dispersion

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Abstract

The Tinto and Odiel are small rivers draining one of the largest sulphide deposits in the world. As a result of these deposits and a large industrial complex, the adjacent marine area receives a high amount of metal input. Mercury distribution in the Tinto-Odiel estuary, the Huelva Ría and the Gulf of Cádiz was assessed in water and suspended particulatematter (SPM) and sediments. In the rivers and estuaries, dissolved (HgD)and particulate (HgP) mercury showed wide variations (13 to 200 pM and0.3 to 330 nmol g-1 respectively) depending on the presence or notof sulphidic waters, phosphogypsum deposits, detrital pyrite and oxyhydroxides.In the Ría, concentrations were lower than 10 pM and 4.5 nmol g-1 for HgD and HgP respectively. In surface waters of the Gulf of Cádiz, the average HgD concentration (pm standard deviation) was 2.9 pm 0.9 pM, which is similar to that of North Atlantic Central Waters. The surface sediments collected in the rivers, the Ría and the Gulf showed systematically enriched mercury compared to pre-industrial levels. Vertical mercury profiles in dated sediment cores were typical of anthropogenically influenced environments starting in the early Roman age. These distribution features suggest that most of the Hg discharged by the Huelva Ría is trapped in the sediments of the Gulf of Cádiz.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, BP, 21105, F.44311, Nantes Cedex 3, France

    D. Cossa

  2. Laboratoire “Géofluides, Bassins, Eau”, UMR5569 CNRS-University of Montpellier II, CC57, F.34095, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    F. Elbaz-Poulichet

  3. Departamento de Geologia, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, S.21071 Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain

    J. M. Nieto

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  1. D. Cossa
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  2. F. Elbaz-Poulichet
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  3. J. M. Nieto
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Cossa, D., Elbaz-Poulichet, F. & Nieto, J.M. Mercury in the Tinto-Odiel Estuarine System (Gulf of Cádiz, Spain): Sources and Dispersion. Aquatic Geochemistry 7, 1–12 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011392817453

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