Clyde estuary

Muller, F.L.L., Tranter, M. Balls, P.W. (1994) Distribution and transport of chemical constituents in the Clyde Estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 39,105-26. 

The sediments exposed to weapons testing or adjacent to nuclear facilities have accommodated significant amounts of Tc. The Bravo Crater, Eniwetok, Marshall Islands, eontains calcareous debris rather rich in Tc. The IAEA sediments were collected near the reprocessing plant at Bombay, India. There was a measurable Tc content in the coastal sediments collected off the coasts of Peru and Chile. This might be related to the mineral phosphorite. Samples of Whitehaven Harbour sediments were taken near the Sellaficld, UK, reprocessing plant outfall. Tc was also detected in sediments from the Clyde Estuary, UK. but with no evident differences from those taken from anoxic or from oxic areas [80]. 

Hodgkiess et al [78] exposed glass fibre reinforced laminates to (i) distilled water, (ii) simulated sea water ( Ocean Salt 3.3% total dissolved solids) (iii) simulated spray/sunlight conditions in the laboratory and (iv) to tidal effects and permanent immersion in the lower Clyde estuary (55°45 N 4°55 W), where the sea water temperature was 6-12°C over the period of testing. The materials tested, which were exposed for up to 18 months with all sides and edges coated in the same resin, were ... 

Table 3.1 Physical characteristics of the Clyde and Humber Estuaries...

The magnitude of this fraction (Table 3.2), which has important implications concerning the bioavailability, transport and fate of these constituents (Balls, 1989 Pankow MacKenzie, 1991 Webster Ridgway, 1994) varies from more than 90% for Cd and Cs in sea water and oxygen depleted waters of the Clyde, to less than 5% for 2,3,7,8-TCDD in the Humber Estuary and the low salinity zone of the Clyde. 

Figure 3.5 Schematic illustration of particle fluxes in the Clyde and Humber Estuaries. Arrow size denotes relative magnitude of the flux. The broken line represents the boundary of the saline intrusion and the river. REM and MEM denote river and marine end-members, respectively. All terms are defined in the text.

These deposits include the alluvium and brick-earths they are generally found in the river valleys, for example in the Thames Valley, North Kent, and the Forth, Clyde and Tay estuaries. Many former brick-earth deposits have now been worked out but stock bricks are made from this material at Conyer, Funton and Otterham in North Kent. 

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