Paris convention. Annual report on direct and riverine inputs to Norwegian coastal waters during the year 1995. Part A: Principles, results and discussion. Part B: Data report

Abstract

Riverine inputs of nutrients, selected heavy metals and organic micropollutants to Norwegian coastal waters from 10 main and 145 tributary rivers have been monitored during 1995. The inputs from rivers not monitored as well as direct discharges to marine waters along the coast from Sweden to Russia have been estimated. According to the results, total annual nutrient load to coastal waters from landbased sources, is approximately 4000 tonnes of phosphorus and 105.200 tonnes of nitrogen. About 43 per cent of the phosphorus and 60 per cent of the nitrogen are inputs from the monitored rivers and tributaries. Most inputs of heavy metals are low, especially the riverine inputs of Cd, Pb and Hg. A few values of Cd and Pb are below the detection limits of the specific analysis, and about 50 % of the Hg-analyses except for the "Skagrrak- rivers", where more than 60 % of the Hg-values were above the detection limit. Most values of the different congeners of PCB were below the detection limit. The pesticide lindane is detected in most analyses in small amounts. Total load of this compound is estimated to about 107 kg. The largest yields from heavy metals comprise copper and zinc, with input estimates of 347 and 967 tonnes, respectively. Retention in the fjords is not included in the above mentioned values, which in several cases would reduce the actual load to open marine waters considerably.