The distribution of mercury and other trace metals in the sediments of the Mersey Estuary over 25 years 1974-1998.

Mercury and other heavy metals have been monitored in the surface sediments of the Mersey Estuary in NW England for a period of 25 years, using a consistent methodology and sampling grid. This has produced one of the most comprehensive data sets available in the literature and demonstrated some of the difficulties associated with undertaking long-term environmental monitoring. The data indicate that the concentration of mercury and other metals in the sediments of this estuary are strongly correlated to the organic matter and particle size content. This has resulted in the metal distribution patterns reflecting the sediment characteristics and dynamics, irrespective of the position of the input sources. The trend data has indicated a continual, although somewhat uneven, decline in the concentration of most of the metals studied. Remobilisation of previously consolidated saltmarsh sediments can cause significant perturbations in contaminant reduction trends, and needs to be considered in the design of long term monitoring programmes.