Distribution ratio of dissolved and particulate REE in surface coastal seawater.

Abstract

Dissolved and particulate forms of rare earth elements (REE) in the surface seawater of coastal area were separately determined with Inductively Coupled Plasma ion source Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in order to discuss the REE partitioning between them. Two different samples were prepared on the occasion of each sampling: one sample was acidified before it was filtrated (AF) and another sample was acidified after filtrated (FA). On the two samples (AF and FA) we measured the REE abundances of the filtrate and the collected matter on the filter separately. In either sample, the filtrate showed a “W type tetrad effect”-like variation in the chondrite normalized REE pattern. The partitioning pattern of sample FA shows a clearer “W type tetrad effect”-like variation than that of sample AF, indicating that “labile” showed a “M type tetrad effect”-like variation. Besides Ce anomaly, anomalous behavior of Tb has been observed in the filtrate of the sample FA. Th in the collected shows rather capricious behavior.