Preset Level of Contaminants in the Romanian Black Sea Sector

Marine water, sediment, and biota samples were collected along the Romanian coast of the Black Sea, and concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, organic phosphorus, and silicon were measured, along with those of selected heavy metals, radionuclides, total hydrocarbons, and fungi. The data show that nutrient concentrations have decreased considerably since the 1970s, but P concentrations remain quite high and may be limiting for the coastal environment. Heavy-metal concentrations have declined also, although some locations remain contaminated due to land-based sources. Concentrations of radionuclides tend to be low, although higher levels of cesium-137 are found in submerged sediments. Hydrocarbon concentrations tend to be highest at the mouth of the Danube River. Most problematic is the relatively recent proliferation of pathogenic yeast fungi, particularly in the spring and summer seasons.