Distribution of dissolved Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn in the Adriatic Sea

New high quality measurements of dissolved Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn in the Adriatic Sea indicate that overall the zone is not contaminated with these metals, and concentrations are typically of similar magnitude to those in open ocean and other coastal sea systems. Copper and nickel are negatively correlated with salinity near to the Po, indicating the importance of riverine inputs locally which can lead to higher concentrations close to the river mouth. Zinc concentrations are lower or similar to concentrations in the open Mediterranean Sea and coastal seas, whilst cadmium concentrations are at similar levels to the open Mediterranean, and substantially lower than, for example, the North Sea. These data indicate that the Adriatic is not heavily contaminated with trace metals, and elevated concentrations are only to be found close to significant boundary inputs, which include the Po river, and release of metals from the sediment system.