Scavenged-type trace metals in solution, colloids and particles of an Atlantic Ocean surface section; dissolved aluminium

Time Daberkow, Corinna Harms,

IUP University of Bremen, Institut für Umweltphysik, Universität Bremen Objectives / expected results

Particle-water interaction is a key process in the biogeochemical cycling of chemical elements in the ocean. Uptake into/onto particulate matter and subsequent sinking (scavenging) exerts major control on the chemical composition of seawater. This process maintains the rather low concentrations of many elements in seawater.

Marine Particles can be classified into different size fractions: (i) there are relatively large/heavy, fast sinking particles, which are responsible for the vertical transport towards the sediment; most of the mass resides (ii) in small, almost unsinkable

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dissolved and particulate matter in the ocean and its trace element composition is still widely unknown. Although being part of the operationally defined dissolved fraction, the colloidal size fraction including the elements adsorbed on the colloids may have biogeochemical properties different from those of “truly” dissolved elements.

The comparison of trace element composition of the different fractions in seawater (SPM, dissolved, colloidal and “truly” dissolved) and the additional comparison to the composition of aerosol particles and rainwater samples are expected to provide important clues on the transport and sorption mechanisms (sorption of trace elements onto colloids and sorption on suspended particles) as well as on the general biogeochemical behaviour of the analyzed trace elements (e.g. Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) in the ocean.

With Fe being a prominent example, many of the trace element studied here are essential for marine life, and thus also for the biogenically induced particle flux within the water column. These trace elements cover a broad range of chemical properties, enabling the study of relevant biogeochemical processes in greater detail.

Work at sea / preliminary results

During the cruise ANT-XXIII/1 surface water samples were collected for the analysis of different trace elements in the mentioned fractions. Dissolved samples have been separated into “truly” dissolved and colloidal sample material using cross-flow ultra filtration (CFUF, with nominal mass cut-offs at 30,000, 10,000, and 5,000 Da).

To have an indicator for the input of particles/dust from the atmosphere, the concentration of total dissolvable aluminium (TD-Al) was analyzed using the Lumogallion fluorescence method.

Sampling was conducted over the whole transact (see Fig. 4.5 and Table 1.1) covering different regions of input and production and also includes a few water column profiles (not listed in Table 1.1). Surface water sampling was done via the side towed fish (sampling depth ca. 3 m). Where this was not possible due to heavier sea state a snorkel system below the ship (sampling depth ca. 12 m) was used for seawater supply.

Fractionation by ultra filtration and SPM-filtration each had been done once a day, sampling of unfiltered and prefiltered water twice a day; frequency of aluminium sampling/analyzing varied from once a day at the beginning and end of the transect up to four times a day at the dust input regions.

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not on board: R. Sherrell, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

Objectives

Trace element ratios in particulate matter from surface waters reflect the nature of the particles themselves and can provide information on the processes that formed them. In particular in regions of high productivity the content of the mostly organic particles reflect the concentrations of the bio available fraction of the metals in seawater; this may include changes in the Cd:P or Zn:P ratio or in the Fe:P ratio. In contrast in regions with a high dust load, the particles may reflect more the inorganic/crustal signature of the aerosol source regions. The Rutgers group of Prof.

Rob Sherrell have a strong history of developing and applying ICPMS techniques to the problem of element ratios in particulate matter (Berman-Frank et al., 2001; Cullen and Sherrell, 1999; Cullen et al., 1999; Cullen et al., 2003; Field et al., 1999; Sterner et al., 2004). By measuring elemental ratios in particles collected during ANT-XXIII/1 we hope to gather further information on the way in which particle supply and production, scavenging and dissolution controls dissolved metal concentrations in the open ocean and in turn how this may effect primary productivity.

Work at sea

In the present work we obtained surface and near surface samples along the meridional transect during ANT-XXIII/1. Sampling was conducted in two modes:

• Surface sampling from the FISH at the same time as the main GEOTRACES sample collection took place in the wet lab. This involved collecting 20 l of seawater into a trace metal clean carboy and filtering through either 47 mm quartz or polycarbonate filters. All sample manipulations and filtration took place in a class 100 laminar flow bench. The filters were then later dried on the laminar flow bench and stored until shipping for later analysis at Rutgers.

• Depth resolved sampling was performed at several of the GEOTRACES stations during ANT-XXIII/1. This involved filtering 2 l of seawater collected from the GO-FLO samplers through 13 mm quartz fibre filters while under low N2 overpressure in the IFM-GEOMAR clean container. Typically samples were obtained from 20, 60, 100 and 200 m. The filters were then dried in the clean room using a small incubator and stored until shipping for later analysis at Rutgers.

The collected samples will be analysed by ICP-MS in the laboratory at Rutgers. The present study was a pilot study to examine the feasibility of combining this type of sampling with work on the dissolved metals in the water column carried out by the trace metal group at the IFM-GEOMAR. This is an international collaboration between Germany and the USA as an initial contribution to German GEOTRACES.

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small samples of size-fractionated particulate matter: phytoplankton metals off central California. Marine Chemistry, 67: 233-247.

Cullen, J.T., Lane, T.W., Morel, F.M.M. and Sherrell, R.M., 1999. Modulation of cadmium uptake in phytoplankton by seawater CO2 concentration. Nature, 402:

165-167.

Cullen, J.T., Chase, Z., Coale, K.H., Fitzwater, S.E. and Sherrell, R.M., 2003. Effect of iron limitation on the cadmium to phosphorous ratio of natural phytoplankton assemblages from the Southern Ocean. Limnology and Oceanography, 48: 1079-1087.

Field, M.P., Cullen, J.T. and Sherrell, R.M., 1999. Direct determination of 10 trace metals in 50 uL samples of coastal seawater using desolvating micronebulization sector field ICP-MS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 14: 1425-1431.

Sterner, R.W. et al., 2004. Phosphorus and trace metal limitation of algae and bacteria in Lake Superior. Limnology and Oceanography, 49: 495-507.

4.8 Deposition of trace metals to Atlantic surface waters