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A Case Study of Waste Inputs in the Tagus Estuary

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The Role of the Oceans as a Waste Disposal Option

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIC,volume 172))

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Abstract

The Tagus Estuary, the largest in the European occidental coast, has been receiving large quantities of wastes from agricultural and industrial activities as well as from large urban centers. The estuary is a well mixed body of water in which tidal energy plays a dominant role in the currents regime and the salinity distribution, Unless unusual very high influxes from the River Tagus are occurring.

Sediments are mainly of fluvial origin and deposition rate or export to sea are low. A continuous process of erosion, suspension and redeposition is taking place. The estimated pollution loads from the very large number of sources draining their effluents to the Estuary show that the most important feature of the discharges into the Tagus Estuary is the simultaneous input of suspended solids, organic matter and contaminants, in particular Hg, As, Pb and other heavy metals. Though inputs of persistent organic compounds have never been estimated organochlorine insecticides and PCBs are detectable in sediments and biota at levels indicative of local pollution. A complete survey of pollutants in water, sediments and organisms has never been made but available data show that present levels of Hg, As and Pb are among the highest detected in similar environments. Biological effects at species level are suspected but the ecosystem as a whole seems to be adapted to the alterations in water quality that have been occurring.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Investigação das Pescas, Avenida de Brasília, 1400, Lisboa, Portugal

    Margarida C. de Barros

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  1. Margarida C. de Barros
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Oceanography, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

    G. Kullenberg

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© 1986 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland

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de Barros, M.C. (1986). A Case Study of Waste Inputs in the Tagus Estuary. In: Kullenberg, G. (eds) The Role of the Oceans as a Waste Disposal Option. NATO ASI Series, vol 172. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4628-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4628-6_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8557-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4628-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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