Trace Metals in Shallow Marine Sediments from the Ría de Vigo: Sources, Pollution, Speciation and Early Diagenesis

摘要: The maintenance of the environmental quality coastal environments requires a good knowledge on them, identifying their potential problems and considering different anthropogenic activities that take place in these settings. A great proportion suspended material arrives to is incorporated bottom sediments. Sedimentation favoured due abrupt changes are produced physico-chemical parameters (pH, Eh, salinity, etc.) by confluence continental marine waters. Their sediments constitute archives, recording trace element inputs environment. Metal concentrations usually surpass several orders magnitude those existing adjacent water column interstitial waters (Tessier & Campbell, 1988). analysis allows covering objectives, such as studying spatial temporal history pollution particular (Zwolsman et al., 1993), detecting pollutant sources (Dassenakis 1996) evaluating effects organisms (Fichet 1998). Sediments can act secondary source resuspension or dissolution (early diagenesis) processes. study needs multidisciplinary approach, taking into account physicochemical processes operating area relationships between metal concentration, mineralogy, grain-size sources. All variables reviewed this chapter, showing examples from shallow transitional environment: Ria de Vigo (NW Spain).