Abstract

Fluoride concentrations were determined in 224 seawater samples from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and from the Caribbean Sea. The most probable value for the mean F/CI ratio (× 10 54) in normal seawater was 6·75 with an overall uncertainty of ± 0.03 (based on three times the standard deviation of the mean). The ratio was invariant with respect to geographical location, depth, and water mass. An upper limit was established for its normal variability in seawater, thus allowing more sensitive identification of waters containing anomalous amounts of fluoride. The extra fluoride that has been found in anomalous seawater may be chemically complexed or in acid-soluble colloidal form. Several techniques to discriminate between these possibilities are discussed.

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