Composition of bottom sediments and their exchange with seawater in the Amur and Zolotoy Rog bays, Sea of Japan

Concentrations of dissolved metals were measured by a voltammetry method. Transition of Zn and Cd into solution was shown to be linearly dependent on initial pollution of sediments with these metals.

Cadmium mobilization is due to gradual degradation of organic matter from sediments. Under degradation processes Zn quickly goes into solution during sedimentation and from silts, while in case of polluted sediments it is slowly mobilized during oxidation of sulfides. Behavior of Cu is complex because of binding of mobilized metal by dissolved organic compounds.