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Copper in the Thames Estuary in relation to the special protection areas

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Abstract

Copper poses a risk to the integrity of the Thames Estuary and Marshes special protection area (SPA) as bioaccumulation within the food chain takes place. This article describes some of the investigations carried out for the Habitats Directive Review of Consents including a review of the methods used to analyse copper samples; analysis of the long-term data sets gathered by the Environment Agency; and modelling work. Mean dissolved copper levels for 2002–2006 are below the 5 μg/l Environmental Quality Standard. Catchment modelling was used to establish total copper budgets both for sources discharging directly to the Tideway and for sources throughout the Thames catchment including sewage treatment works (STWs), industries, non-urban, and urban runoff. The total copper load to the Tideway was estimated to be 36 tonnes/year with 52% of this attributed to STWs. Modelling was used to explore the mixing, transport and fate of copper throughout the estuary taking account of partitioning and the interaction with sediments. The modelling showed how the fourth Water Industry Asset Management Programme (AMP4) improvements to the main London STWs would affect copper concentrations throughout the estuary.

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Acknowledgments

This article has been produced with the permission of the Directors of WRc and the Environment Agency. The views expressed in the article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of WRc or the Environment Agency. The authors are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers whose contributions have been used to improve this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. WRc plc, Frankland Road, Blagrove, Swindon, SN5 8YF, UK

    Donna Murray & Paul Dempsey

  2. Environment Agency, Rivers House, Crossness STW, Belvedere Road, Abbey Wood, London, SE2 9AQ, UK

    Peter Lloyd

Authors
  1. Donna Murray
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  2. Paul Dempsey
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  3. Peter Lloyd
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Correspondence to Donna Murray.

Additional information

Guest editors: R. J. Uncles & S. B. Mitchell / The Thames Estuary and Estuaries of South East England

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Murray, D., Dempsey, P. & Lloyd, P. Copper in the Thames Estuary in relation to the special protection areas. Hydrobiologia 672, 39–47 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0756-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0756-7

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