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Pollution of the North Sea

An Assessment

  • Book
  • © 1988

Overview

Editors:
  1. Wim Salomons

    1. Institute for Soil Fertility, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Haren (Gr), The Netherlands

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  2. Brian L. Bayne

    1. Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK

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  3. Egbert Klaas Duursma

    1. Netherland Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg/Texel, The Netherlands

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  4. Ulrich Förstner

    1. Arbeitsbereich Umweltschutztechnik, Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg 90, Fed. Rep. of Germany

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Table of contents (40 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XI
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  2. The North Sea System: Physics, Chemistry, Biology

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. The Hydrography and Hydrographic Balances of the North Sea

      • P. C. Reid, A. H. Taylor, J. A. Stephens
      Pages 3-19

    3. Suspended Matter and Sediment Transport

      • D. Eisma, G. Irion
      Pages 20-35

    4. Geobiological Effects on the Mobility of Contaminants in Marine Sediments

      • M. Kersten
      Pages 36-58

    5. The Nature and Functioning of Salt Marshes

      • W. G. Beeftink, J. Rozema
      Pages 59-87

    6. Estuaries

      • J. M. Martin, J. C. Brun-Cottan
      Pages 88-99

    7. Fjords

      • J. M. Skei, J. Molvaer
      Pages 100-109

    8. The Water-Air Interface

      • P. S. Liss, T. D. Jickells, P. Buat-Ménard
      Pages 110-117

    9. The Ecosystem

      • P. de Wolf, J. J. Zijlstra
      Pages 118-151

    10. Fishery Resources

      • A. D. McIntyre
      Pages 152-163

    11. Natural Events

      • J. J. Zijlstra, P. de Wolf
      Pages 164-180

  3. Input and Behavior of Pollutants

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 181-181
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    2. The Scheldt Estuary

      • R. Wollast
      Pages 183-193

    3. The Rhine/Meuse Estuary

      • K. J. M. Kramer, J. C. Duinker
      Pages 194-212

    4. The Estuaries of the Humber and Thames

      • A. W. Morris
      Pages 213-224

    5. Dredged Materials

      • U. Förstner, W. Salomons
      Pages 225-245

    6. Sewage Sludge Disposal in the North Sea

      • M. Parker
      Pages 246-256

    7. Waste Incineration at Sea

      • H. Compaan
      Pages 257-274

    8. Input from the Atmosphere

      • R. M. van Aalst
      Pages 275-283
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Keywords

About this book

This preface is being written at a time of exceptional public interest in the North Sea, following media head­ lines on toxic algal blooms, the mass mortality of common seals, and concern over pollution levels. These headlines may suggest that pollution of the North Sea is a recent event. This is not the case. Although no data are available (methods simply did not exist), it is safe to assume that emission (both into air and water) of heavy metals already started to increase in the 19th cen­ tury. The growth of cities and introduction of sewer sys­ tems led to the discharge of raw sewage and sewage sludge. The introduction of man-made (xenobiotic) organ­ ic chemicals and their subsequent emission into the North Sea commenced before the second world war. The shallower and coastal areas of the North Sea receive the highest concentrations of these pollutants. Not unexpectedly, these areas - some Norwegian fjords, the Dutch coast, the German Bight - show signs of ecosystem deterioration and eutrophication. A certain percentage of the pollutants does not remain in the North Sea but is "exported" to the Atlantic. The North Sea therefore con­ tributes to the global input of pollutants to the world's oceans. The major part of the pollutants accumulate in the North Sea and are incorporated in the bottom sediments. Although they are "out of sight", they should not be "out of mind".

Editors and Affiliations

  • Institute for Soil Fertility, Delft Hydraulics Laboratory, Haren (Gr), The Netherlands

    Wim Salomons

  • Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK

    Brian L. Bayne

  • Netherland Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg/Texel, The Netherlands

    Egbert Klaas Duursma

  • Arbeitsbereich Umweltschutztechnik, Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg 90, Fed. Rep. of Germany

    Ulrich Förstner

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