On the Fractional Solubillity of Copper in Marine Aerosols: Toxicity of Aeolian Copper Revisited

• Main Authors: Sholkovitz, Edward R., Sedwick, Peter N., Church, Thomas M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: ODU Digital Commons 2010
• Subjects: Sargasso Sea; Trace elements; North Atlantic; Dry deposition; CU stress; Transport; Chelators; Bermuda; Metals; Phytoplankton; Copper; Aerosols; Atmospheric Sciences; Biogeochemistry; Environmental Sciences; Oceanography
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_fac_pubs/104; https://doi.org/10.1029/2010g044817; https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/context/oeas_fac_pubs/article/1090/viewcontent/Sholkovitz_2010_On_the_fractional_solubility_o.pdf

Paytan et al. (2009) argue that the atmospheric deposition of aerosols lead to copper concentrations that are potentially toxic to marine phytoplankton in a large area of tropical and subtropical North Atlantic Ocean. A key assumption in their model is that all marine aerosols (mineral dust and anthropogenic particles) have a high (40%) fractional solubility of copper. Our data show that the fractional solubility of copper for Saharan dust over the Sargasso Sea and Bermuda is significantly lower (1-7%). In contrast, anthropogenic aerosols with non-Saharan sources have significantly higher values (10-100%). Hence, the potential Cu toxicity in the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic should be re-estimated, given the low fractional solubility of Cu in the Saharan dust that dominates aerosol deposition to this region.