Copper concentration ocean

Correlation plots for the North Pacific Ocean concentration data from Figure 11.14 (a) zinc versus nitrate, phosphate, and silica, (b) cadmium versus nitrate, phosphate, and silica, (c) copper versus nitrate, phosphate, and silica, and (d) nickel versus nitrate, phosphate, and silica. 

Anomalously high concentrations of copper are found in marine areas adjacent to known sources such as sewage outfalls and waste disposal sites. Near shore values of 20 Mg/1 have been recorded6, for example, whereas open ocean concentrations initially determined by Fabricand, et al. were reports at less than 3.0 jug/17. ... 

Copper was biologically unavailable for the first two billion years of life. The reducing atmosphere and the 10 3 molar oceanic concentrations of H2S locked copper in its Cu+ form from which it precipitated as insoluble Cu2S [6,7]. This extremely stable form of copper barred it from use in biological systems. However, iron, in contrast to copper, exists in a soluble form, Fe2+, under these conditions. Consequently, it found application in a wide variety of proteins. 

Movement of the relatively high concentration of copper from the Earth s crust into the soil depends on weathering, the process of the soil s formation, drainage, oxidation-reduction potential, the amount of organic matter in the soil, and the pH. Copper is concentrated in the clay mineral fractions rich in organic carbon. Almost all of the copper carried into the ocean is precipitated accounting for its lower concentration there than in fresh water. 

Ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) chelate coprecipitation coupled with flameless atomic absorption provides a simple and precise method for the determination of nanomol kg 1 levels of copper, nickel, and cadmium in seawater. With practice, the method is not overly time-consuming. It is reasonable to expect to complete sample concentration in less than 20 min, digestion in about 4 h, and sample preparation in another hour. Atomic absorption time should average about 5 min per element. Excellent results have been obtained on the distribution of nickel and cadmium in the ocean by this technique. 

A comparison was carried out on the results obtained using ICP-AES and AAS for eight elements in coastal Pacific Ocean water. The results for cadmium, lead, copper, iron, zinc, and nickel are in good agreement. For iron, the data obtained by the solvent extraction ICP method are also in good agreement with those determined directly by ICP-AES. In most of the results the relative standard deviations were 4% for all elements except cadmium and lead, which had relative standard deviations of about 20% owing to the low concentrations determined. 

No documented report of fatal copper deficiency is available for any species of aquatic organism, and no correlation is evident in aquatic biota for the presumed nutritional copper requirements of a species and its sensitivity to dissolved copper (Neff and Anderson 1977). Extremely low copper concentrations (5.5 and 6.7 mg/kg DW) in whole bodies of 2 of 17 species of crustaceans from the Antarctic Ocean support the hypothesis that certain Antarctic species may show copper deficiencies or reduced metal requirements (Petri and Zauke 1993). 

Rainbow, P.S. 1989. Copper, cadmium and zinc concentrations in oceanic amphipod and euphausiid crustaceans, as a source of heavy metals to pelagic seabirds. Mar. Biol. 103 513-518. 

Sunda, W. G. and Huntsman, S. A. (1995). Regulation of copper concentration in the oceanic nutricline by phytoplankton uptake and regeneration cycles, Limnol. Oceanogr., 40, 132-137. 

Although the nodules vary widely in their composition over the world oceans, metals are concentrated in three distinct types. One type comprises the nickel-copper-iich nodules of the Clarion-Clipperton variety, which is mainly formed in the equatorial regions. Another type, high in cobalt (1% or more) and low in nickel and copper, appears to be most commonly formed on sea mounts. The third type is high in manganese (35% or more), but low in other metals it is known mainly on the eastern side of the Pacific Basin. As of the early 1980s. the most economically attractive were the cobalt-rich nodules. 

Spencer, M.3., Piotrowicz, S.R. and Betzer, P.R., 1982. Concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in surface waters of the northwest Atlantic Ocean - a comparison of Go-Flo and teflon water samplers. Mar. Chem., 11 403-410. 

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