Metal concentrations in Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea (Russia) following the spring snowmelt

11 páginas, 6 figuras, 3 tablasElevated concentrations of dissolved and particulate Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn have been determined in the waters of Kandalaksha Bay (White Sea, Russia), following the ice melt in the spring of 2000. Dissolved metal maxima in the surface waters were observed at some stations and concentrations generally decreased with depth. The suspended particulate matter (SPM) comprised a non-lithogenic fraction in the range 12e83%, and had elevated metal concentrations that showed no trend with depth or salinity and was compositionally distinct from the sediments. A loge linear relationship existed between the concentrations of metals in sediments and in SPM and their respective Al concentrations, indicating a source of metal-rich particles, with low Al content, to the Bay. The results suggest that Kandalaksha Bay has been impacted by industrial activity on the Kola Peninsula and that restricted water exchange will hinder its recovery from metal contamination.The authors are grateful to INTAS for financial support for the project ‘‘Mesoscale Physical and Biogeochemical Processes in the Russian Arctic’’ (Ref: 97-1881). A. Cobelo-Garcı´a thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology and the Galician Government for financial support.Peer reviewe