Contents of Some Heavy Metals in Norwegian Rivers

Concentration data for the elements arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, molybdenum, zinc, and uranium in eleven Norwegian rivers, determined by neutron activation analysis, are presented. The mean values of the various rivers show the following range for the elements studied (μg/1): As, <0.02-1.05. Cd, <0.06-0.43. Co, 0.09-0.46. Mo, <0.10-1.62, Zn, <2-53. U, 0.041-0.58. The weighted mean values in this work are similar to the estimated world averages for rivers in the case of Co and Zn. For As, Mo, and U, the present values are lower than the world averages by a factor of 3 or more. This may be due to lower abundance of sedimentary rocks and deposits in Norway compared with the drainage basins of some of the major rivers in the world.