Copper global metal cycling

In this final section, the global cycles of two metals, mercury and copper, are reviewed. These metals were chosen because their geochemical cycles have been studied extensively, and their chemical reactions exemplify the full gamut of reactions described earlier. In addition, the chemical forms of the two metals are sufficiently different from one another that they behave differently with respect to dominant... 

Nriagu, J. 0. (1979). Copper in the Environment, Part I Ecological cycling. New York Wiley-Interscience. Nriagu, J. 0. (1989). A global assessment ofnatural sources of atmospheric trace metals. Nature, vol. 338, 47 9. 

In this final section, the global cycles of two metals, mercury and copper, are reviewed. These metals... 

The global cycling of copper has been reviewed by Nriagu (1979) and is described schematically in Fig. 15-16. Like most heavy metals and in contrast to mercury, the flux of copper from terrestrial to oceanic reservoirs is dominated by transport in rivers. Copper reaching the oceans by atmospheric transport is of the same order of magnitude as that by three strictly anthropogenic sources direct discharge... 

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