Heavy Metal Pollution in Puget Sound Marinas and Shipyards

Abstract

As worldwide industrial activities continue to grow, concerns have risen over the varied and potentially harmful effects of heavy metal accumulation in the marine environment. While some of these elements may be necessary for life at small concentrations, most heavy metals are defined as such to denote some degree of toxicity, usually occurring as concentrations increase significantly (Ansari et al. 2004). In this study, marine surface sediment samples were taken at maritime-related sites in the Puget Sound to analyze for heavy metal content, in order to investigate trends in metal contamination between sites of varying activities and sizes. There were elevated metal concentrations, compared to average shale rock, at every site. The most contaminated sites were clearly maritime academy and shipyard sites, followed by marinas and the control site, indicating that anthropogenic sources for certain metals like Pb and Cu are present and partially dependent on local activities.