Falmouth has long been considered a thriving port  and has been involved with the import of bulk industrial material since as early as the 14th Century where it was a major importer of tin, granite and coal. Boat traffic has always been a major influence on the Fal estuary and in the modern era it is still used extensively by industry as a major port in the South of the country. There are large dock yards that are involved in bunkering and ship repair, bulk cargo handling and ship building. As private yachts become more popular in the public sector boat traffic on the estuary has increased greatly especially over the last twenty years, this large industrial increase and an increasing urban population in the area have resulted in some effects on the estuaries biological and chemical makeup.

An increase in pollution is evident, with a large sewage effluent on the seabed pumping processed sewage into the mouth of the estuary. From the excess boat traffic and ports in the area; hydrocarbon emissions have increased effecting the biology and chemistry of the water column, most notably in the sediments which are anoxic in many areas. As large industrial vessels navigate within the estuary on a daily basis, dredging occurs to prevent sedimentation of the channels. This dredging disturbs sediment zonation, increases erosion  and damages sea bed biota.

The area is also a valuable scientific study ground with several important biological species that have been placed within an Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Maerl Beds, Zostera Beds and Slipper Limpet (Crepidula fornicata) Beds are all important constituents of this SAC area.

Mining in the area has caused heavy metals to leech into the estuary system which have inevitably reached the main estuaries body of water causing sediments to be high in heavy metals. Copper, Zinc, Precipitated Iron oxide, Lead, Silver and Arsenic are the major pollutants found in the area (Bryan and Gibbs, 1983). This may account for low biological activity in anoxic sediment grabs closer to the head of the Carrick Roads. However, according to the 1983 survey (Bryan and Gibbs) only heavy metal concentrations of 500μM are found within the Carrick Roads but amounts up to 2000μM found up river. Due to the vast majority of mines closing output has decreased drastically since the 1983 report however, groundwater and through flow from the abandoned mines still causes some leeching.

Anthropogenic activities have caused major chemical changes within the Fal system and some of these should be reflected in the results that have be attained by water the sampling and analysis that we have conducted.