Mercury in the Thames Estuary

Abstract

Abstract Mercury has been determined in the dissolved and particulate phase of the water in the central and outer Thames Estuary. Results confirm previous findings that a major fraction of mercury (up to 98%) in the water is associated with the suspended matter. The total dissolved mercury in the mid‐channel of the estuary remains at a low level and has a range of 3–18 ng/dm3 with a mean of 9.8 ng/dm3. It appears that a significant fraction of dissolved Hg is complexed to varying degrees throughout the salinity regime.