Enrichments in Hg, Cd, As, and Sb in recent sediments of Azores-Iceland Ridge

Mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and antimony were analyzed in cores sampled on the Azores-Iceland Ridge. High values of 780 μg · kg−1 for Hg, 1.7 μg · g−1 for Cd, 87 μg · g−1 for As, and 8.1 μg · g−1 for Sb occur in the rift valley and transform faults. These enrichments, strictly linked to the ridge, could not have an allochtonous origin. A local hydrogenous flux may explain this phenomenon. These metallic enrichments may be connected to a hydrothermal activity extended between 43° N and 47° N.