Modelling the environmental behaviour of pollutants in Algeciras Bay (south Spain)

► Water circulation and sediment transport simulated in Algeciras Bay. ► An effective diffusion coefficient has been obtained through the simulation of temperature distribution inside the Bay. ► Dispersion of heavy metal has been simulated. Metal concentrations in water and sediments compared with observations. ► Flushing times determined through numerical experiments. It is assessed how they are affected by water circulation.