A Comparative Study of the Input of Trace Metals to Municipal Harbors

The input of trace metals to the municipal harbors has attracted an increasing amount of attention. Many trace metals are associated with the suspend- ed matter and very often exceed several orders of magnitude in concentration than the natural background level in the sediments. The input of trace metals to the Kaoshiung Harbor of Taiwan and Long Beach Harbor were studied. The data collected over several years period shows a distinct seasonal cycle in the variation of concentration of suspended metals. Using the relative ratio of suspended metal concentration and the ratio of suspended metals with that in the sediment, the relative amount of input were evaluated and analyzed. Some of the most distinctly contaminated area and the routes of dispersion were identified.