The GEEP Workshop: trace metal analyses

Abstract

As a counterpart to the biological analyses of the GEEP Workshop, chemical anlayses of trace metals were carried out on sediments and on organs and tissues of fish (flounder), mussels and crabs, from the field sampling sites in Langesundfjord/Frierfjord and the experimental exposures in the Solbergstrand mesocosm facility. The filed sites were not characterised by strong metal gradients but both tissue and sediment analyses revealed differences between sites, particularly between the 'end-points' of the anticipated contaminant gradient. In the mesocosm experiment, increasing copper dosing levels in the basin waters were closely matched by copper accumualtion in mussel tissues and, to a lesser extent, crab tissues. Copper did not appear to accumulated in the fish livers nor in the top layers of the sediment used for the benthic community studies.