Determination of the chemical forms of dissolved cadmium, lead and copper in seawater

Abstract

Abstract The chemical forms of Cd, Pb and Cu in seawater have been examined using a novel scheme which permits the quantification of up to seven different species of one metal. The concentration of each species was calculated from measurements using anodic stripping voltammetry of labile and total metal in samples which were (a) untreated, (b) UV irradiated, (c) passed through a chelating resin column, and (d) UV irradiated then passed through a chelating resin column. In the sample studied, the major proportion of Cd, Pb and Cu was found to be associated with organic and inorganic colloidal species. Less than half of the bound Pb and Cu was readily exchangeable with added 210 Pb and 64 Cu.