Heavy metals in sediments of the Gulf of Finland : a review

Abstract

The Gulf of Finland has during the last centuries been loaded with heavy metals of anthropogenic origin. Work with mapping of the chemistry of the sediments have been done in all surrounding countries during several decades, first in the Soviet Union and later in Russia and similarly in Finland. More recent sediment chemistry data from the last two decades was in this study combined into sediment chemistry maps added with some data from the commercial Nord Stream project. The result shows that zinc, copper and chromium are enriched in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, while mercury, cadmium and lead are showing the highest concentrations in the northeastern part of the gulf.