MERCURY AND ITS SPECIES IN THE ADRIATIC SEA

Mercury and its speciation were studied in surface and deep water of the Adriatic Sea during two oceanographic cruises onboard the research vessel Urania. Several mercury species together with some other water parameters were measured in coastal and open sea deep water profiles. Spatial and seasonal variations of measured Hg species concentrations in different identified water masses were observed. THg concentrations in the water column, as well as in sediments and pore waters, were the highest in the northern, most polluted part of the Adriatic Sea as the consequence of Hg mining in Idrija and the heavy industry of northern Italy. Furthermore, a Hg mass balance for the Adriatic Sea was calculated based on these measurements and literature data