Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Vicinity of an Industrial Complex

Abstract

ABNORMAL concentrations of lead, cadmium and zinc exist in the head waters and sediments of the Bristol Channel, and these metals may be dispersed from the industrial complex at Avonmouth1,2. Butterworth, Lester and Nickless1 have shown also that some living organisms from these waters contain exceptionally high concentrations of the same metals. It is logical to reason that airborne pollution might originate from the same sources and the results reported here show the extent to which this hypothesis has so far been shown to be valid.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Butterworth, J., Lester, P., and Nickless, G., Mar. Poll. Bull., 3, 72 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Abdullah, M. I., Royle, L. G., and Morris, A. W., Nature, 235, 158 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Goodman, G. T., and Roberts, T. M., Nature, 231, 287 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BURKITT, A., LESTER, P. & NICKLESS, G. Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Vicinity of an Industrial Complex. Nature 238, 327–328 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/238327a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/238327a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing