The trace metal recycling component in the North-western Mediterranean

Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were measured in a north-western Mediterranean area, in three different reservoirs (atmosphere, marine surface microlayer and subsurface seawater) with the aim of comparing their respective metal contents. Although the surface microlayer is strongly enriched in trace metals, enrichment factors normalized to sodium indicate that the recycling component (i.e. sea-salt particles emitted by the sea surface and re-introduced into the atmosphere) are negligible compared with direct atmospheric loadings, which are very high in the north-western Mediterranean. The importance of the recycling component decreases in the sequence Cd> Pb> Cu> Zu.