Abstract

Intermittent anoxia in the Saanich Inlet water column provides an easily accessible marine O 2/H 2S interface to study the response of metals to both a steep redox gradient and the availability of reactive reduced sulfur species. Our study indicates a strong anoxic zone sink for copper and cadmium and the characteristically enhanced solubility of manganese and iron. Thiosulfate and sulfite are below detection limits (1 μM and 0.1 μM, respectively) and thus not important in metal complexation. Elemental sulfur concentrations are high at the oxic/anoxic interface and throughout the anoxic zone, indicating the potential for metal complexation by polysulfides. A thermodynamic approach employing metal sulfide formation and class specific sulfidic ligand complexation to generate equilibrium profiles adequately describes the solubility of iron, copper, and cadmium. The extension of this scheme to other transition and class B metals in other marine environments with redox fronts is suggested.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.