This study provides data for total and non-residual vanadium distributions in the northern Saronikos Gulf and shows that close to the Athens sewage outfall (ASO), the combined domestic and industrial wastes have resulted in a considerable increase in concentrations of vanadium in sediments and suspended solids. This appears to be the main vanadium source in the area; a second major source is a fertilizer plant (FP) near the entrance of Piraeus Harbour (PH), the impact of which is also important. Atmospheric inputs from the Piraeus industrial site and frequent crude oil spillages from ships and land-based sources seem to contribute significantly to the observed vanadium distribution, which is clearly affected by the prevailing circulation of surface waters and winds. The high percentage of the 0.5 NHCl-leachable vanadium fraction in the most polluted sediments, together with positive correlation with organic carbon and certain other trace metals (i.e. Ag, Co, Cr, Fe, Zn) and negative correlation coefficients with Al and Sc, indicate that a considerable portion of the vanadium is of "anthropogenic" origin not related to lithogenous particles. It enters the system in association with relatively large organic aggregates, either authigenic or derived from sewage.