Water quality of the estuary and Firth of Forth, Scotland

Abstract

SynopsisThe major sources of domestic and industrial wastes being discharged into the estuary and firth are described and quantified. The effects of these inputs on the quality of the receiving waters, in terms of their dissolved oxygen and micronutrient levels, are discussed.In the estuary, nitrate is shown to behave in an essentially conservative manner in the winter months; the ammonia distribution exhibits summer maxima as a direct result of the effluent waste inputs; the orthophosphate distribution is characterised by considerable losses in the upper reaches. The data on lateral distributions of micronutrients show marked gradients.In the firth the significant improvements in waters off the Edinburgh coastline are described. The influence of the existing major discharges on water quality is shown occasionally to extend to the eastern limit of the firth for ammonia and orthophosphate.