Trend analysis of the published concentrations of heavy metals in aerosols above the North Sea and the English Channel for the period 1971-1994

A literature review is given of atmospheric trace metal concentrations in aerosols above the North Sea and the English Channel over the period 1971-1994. Literature data have been gathered and intercompared to look for possible trends in the reported concentrations. Six trace metals are considered: Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Cr. A distinction is made between measurements in different regions of the North Sea, and between coastal and marine areas. The majority of the data deals with the Southern Bight, providing the most reliable trends. Strong decreasing trends are observed for the Pb and Zn concentrations above the North Sea during the years 1971-1994. For Cd, Cu, Ni, and Cr, much less data are available in the literature. Despite this, also for Cd and Cu a decreasing trend is present. Cr and Ni concentrations are fluctuating, mostly without a certain pattern. The trends in the concentrations are also compared to changes in the European emission profiles