Inorganic Lead Complexation in Natural Seawater Determined by UV Spectroscopy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Recent effort to construct trace metal complexation models in natural media 1–8 is a mark of the importance of chemical form in the biogeochemical behaviour of trace metals. Unfortunately such chemical modelling is difficult in many ways. Chemical speciation models of trace metals in complex natural media such as seawater are usually constructed using stability constants determined in simple media. We describe an alternative procedure which can reduce the errors inherent in this approach. Using UV spectroscopy, we have examined lead speciation in seawater. The method is a means of describing metal speciation in seawater quantitatively using stability constants determined exclusively in seawater. Preliminary experiments indicate that the same approach can be used for other metals including copper.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalNature
Volume290
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1981

Keywords

  • Science
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • multidisciplinary

Disciplines

  • Life Sciences

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