Dissolved and particulate fluxes of copper through the Morlaix river estuary (Brittany, France): mass balance in a small estuary with strong agricultural catchment

Dissolved and particulate copper were measured over an annual cycle (12 surveys between February 1998 and January 1999) in the Morlaix Estuary (Brittany, France). These variations were investigated in both the water column and the benthic compartment in order to calculate fluxes of copper within estuary. In the water column, dissolved and particulate copper concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 19.0 nM and from 0.03 to 2.3 μmol g−1, respectively. In the benthic compartment, copper concentrations in superficial sediment varied from 0.04 to 0.32 μmol g−1 and from 7.6 to 80.5 nM in the pore waters. The results show that copper contents in the water column reached levels commonly observed in estuaries affected by heavy industrial activities. Agricultural activities, extensively developed on the drainage basin, may be responsible for the copper excess. Mass balance of copper indicates that the metal accumulated within the estuary with a rate ranging from 97 to 119 kg yr−1.