Natural particulates, charge

The similarity of charge of all the natural particulates is consistent with the postulate that a film of electronegative material forms on particles in the sea but would also be consistent with an inherently negatively charged particulate population. However, the negative mobilities exhibited by introduced test particles, especially those positively charged in artificial sea water, favor the film hypothesis. 

Experiments like those described in Figures 14-3 to 14-6 establish that the electron is a negatively charged particle and that it is present in all substances. Further confirmation of the particulate nature of electricity comes from experiments that were conducted by an American physi-... 

Hohl, H., L. Sigg, and W. Stumm (1980), "Characterization of Surface Chemical Properties of Oxides in Natural Waters The Role of Specific Adsorption Determining the Specific Charge," in M. C. Kavanaugh and J. O. Leckie, Eds., Particulates in Water, Advances in Chemistry Series, ACS 189, 1-31. 

The particulate material found in natural waters was also observed to have a net negative charge when examined by microelectrophoresis. This was true of all particles studied in all natural sea waters the histogram for particles from Atlantic water (Figure 3A) illustrates the range of mobilities observed. When the salinity is lowered to 1% of the initial... 

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