Chesapeake Bay Earth Science Study: Interstitial Water Chemistry-Chemical Zonation, Tributaries Study and Trace Metals

摘要

The sediments of the Chesapeake Bay constitute a large reservoir of chemical species derived from natural and anthropogenic sources. The behavior of these materials in the estuary is determined by the physiochemical sedimentary environments in which they are found. Three major environments are identified, from the interstitial water chemistry as Northern Bay, Middle Bay, and Southern Bay. The chemical sedimentary environments of five tributaries to the main Bay were sampled for interstitial water. The data indicate the concentration of the metals are greater than coastal seawater and river water, and comparable to concentrations found in municipal waste.