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Mercury in surface waters of seas around the United Kingdom

Abstract

A SURVEY of the concentration of mercury in the surface waters of the seas around the UK, has been made as part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's overall programme of investigation into the distribution of heavy metals in the marine environment. Using a cold vapour–gold trap method on board a research vessel, thus obviating the necessity to store the samples with consequent problems of loss and/or contamination, both ‘reactive’ and ‘total’ mercury concentrations have been measured. The results reported here show clearly the major sources of emission. The possible reasons for differences between these results and those of some other investigators are also discussed.

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BAKER, C. Mercury in surface waters of seas around the United Kingdom. Nature 270, 230–232 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/270230a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/270230a0

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