## 4 Results
### Distribution of Trace Elements Along Coast  
We assessed the distribution of the average concentration of trace elements and the medium value ratio (\(K_{k}\)) along the coast. The pattern of the ratio differed among elements. The \(K_{k}\) of As were estimated only on the Curonian Spit coast where the ratio exceeded 1.5 in six sites on the distal end of the spit (79 th, 85 th, and 103 rd-111 st) and Pervalka-Preila section (145 th) in 2011, in four sites (109 th, 111 th, 131 st and 145 th) in 2014, and in only one Juodkrante-Pervalka section (133 rd) in 2018. We estimated higher than 1.5 Kk values for Cr in 2011 in seven places, a significant majority at the distal end of the Curonian Spit (79 th-111 th); in 2014, already in 12 sites (79 th, 91 st, 111 th, 131 st, 145 th, 157 th, 171 st, and 175 th), and only in one site (51 st) on the mainland coast (Figure 4). In 2018, as in previous years, we indicated the highest Cr concentration at the distal end of Curonian Spit (79 th-109 th) and in the coast stretch southern from Juodkrante (133 rd, 139 th, 145 th, 151 st, and 181 st) (Figure 5). Figure 4: The changes in beach sediment volume (\(Q\), m\({}^{3}\)/m) distribution along the coast of the south-eastern Baltic Sea coast (Lithuania) in 2011, 2014, and 2018. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Element** & **Year** & **N** & **Mean** & \(\sigma\) & **Median** & **Min–Max** \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Cu} & 2011 & 42 & 0.32 & 0.13 & 0.30 & 0.17–0.70 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.77 & 1.01 & 0.40 & 0.16–4.15 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.44 & 0.54 & 0.28 & 0.14–3.10 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Pb} & 2011 & 42 & 1.29 & 0.42 & 1.18 & 0.70–2.59 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 1.42 & 0.34 & 1.34 & 0.89–2.69 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 1.01 & 0.24 & 0.96 & 0.70–1.80 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Zn} & 2011 & 42 & 3.61 & 1.09 & 3.20 & 2.20–6.40 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 4.48 & 1.73 & 4.30 & 2.70–13.00 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 3.39 & 1.44 & 2.95 & 1.90–10.70 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Ni} & 2011 & 42 & 0.64 & 0.18 & 0.60 & 0.40–1.10 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.70 & 0.16 & 0.70 & 0.50–1.10 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.61 & 0.19 & 0.60 & 0.30–1.30 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Co} & 2011 & 42 & 0.40 & 0.15 & 0.40 & 0.20–1.00 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.43 & 0.14 & 0.40 & 0.30–0.80 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.41 & 0.14 & 0.40 & 0.20–1.00 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Mn} & 2011 & 42 & 19.88 & 8.06 & 19.00 & 10.00–4.60 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 23.70 & 12.43 & 20.00 & 10.00–4.60 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 24.12 & 15.14 & 21.00 & 8.00–82.00 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{As} & 2011 & 41 & 0.79 & 0.36 & 0.70 & 0.20–1.70 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.73 & 0.20 & 0.70 & 0.40–1.30 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.70 & 0.34 & 0.70 & 0.10–2.00 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Cr} & 2011 & 43 & 2.62 & 1.62 & 2.05 & 1.00–9.00 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 2.55 & 1.23 & 2.10 & 1.10–6.50 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 2.15 & 1.04 & 1.70 & 0.08–5.30 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Hg (ppb)} & 2011 & 8 & 8.25 & 1.98 & 7.5 & 6.00–12.00 \\  & 2014 & 18 & 8.89 & 2.42 & 9.00 & 5.00–13.00 \\  & 2018 & 6 & 8.33 & 2.42 & 8.00 & 5.00–11.00 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Fe, \%} & 2011 & 42 & 0.18 & 0.10 & 0.15 & 0.09–0.59 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.19 & 0.07 & 0.17 & 0.11–0.42 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.16 & 0.06 & 0.15 & 0.08–0.38 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Al, \%} & 2011 & 42 & 0.06 & 0.02 & 0.06 & 0.05–0.15 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.07 & 0.02 & 0.07 & 0.05–0.11 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.06 & 0.02 & 0.05 & 0.03–0.12 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Ca, \%} & 2011 & 42 & 0.36 & 0.25 & 0.28 & 0.09–1.19 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.44 & 0.39 & 0.33 & 0.11–1.78 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.47 & 0.48 & 0.28 & 0.08–2.30 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Mg, \%} & 2011 & 42 & 0.07 & 0.03 & 0.07 & 0.03–0.17 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.08 & 0.05 & 0.07 & 0.03–0.24 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.08 & 0.05 & 0.08 & 0.03–0.30 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Ti, \%} & 2011 & 42 & 0.004 & 0.002 & 0.003 & 0.002–0.01 \\  & 2014 & 43 & 0.005 & 0.003 & 0.004 & 0.002–0.02 \\  & 2018 & 42 & 0.004 & 0.002 & 0.003 & 0.001–0.01 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}