Heavy metals in the coastal environment around Nåtö, Lemland (Åland Islands, Baltic Sea)

Authors

• Heinz-Rudolf Voigt University of Helsinki, Environmental Sciences

Abstract

Elevated concentrations of certain heavy metals: cadmium, lead, nickel, zink, copper, manganese and iron, were recorded from surface sediments close to two fish-farms at Nåtö, as were the concentrations of cadmium in liver, kidney, spleen and bile, of lead in kidney and spleen, of nickel in kidney and spleen, of zink in liver, kidney, gonads, spleen, of copper in liver, gonads, spleen, of manganese in kidney and gonads, of iron in spleen, of flounder, from Nåtö. For turbot only the concentrations of cadmium and copper in the kidneys, and of zink in gonads were noteworthy. In the soft tissue of Baltic clay-mussel elevated concentrations of cadmium were recorded from Nåtö Biological Station, lead, zink, copper, and iron, from both the station and the mouth of the former Nåtö sewage pipeline. Elevated concentrations of cadmium were recorded from soft tissue of blue-mussel from the Föglö fairway (close to the Föglö fish-farm), and from Kobbaklintar light-house island, where also the concentrations of manganese were notable, as were lead in mussels from the Nåtö Biological Station. Also for the cockle-mussel the concentrations of cadmium were elevated at Nåtö Biological Station. All flounders, however, were safe for e.g. human consumption.