Heavy metal contamination of brown seaweed and sediments from the UK coastline between the Wear river and the Tees river

摘要

The concentration of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, and Ag were determined in the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus and intertidal surface sediments from coastal locations of northeast England. Levels of heavy metals similar to those of polluted areas of the British coastline were detected. There is evidence of contamination (especially with Zn and pb) in sediments from sites affected by colliery spoil and from the Wear estuary.