LA-ICP-MS-derived U-concentrations and microstructural domains within biogenic aragonite of Arctica islandica shell

Understanding of the uranium uptake processes (both in vivo and post-mortem) into the skeletal structures of marine calcifiers is a subject of multidisciplinary interest. U-concentration changes within the molluscan shell may serve as a paleoceanographic proxy of the pH history. A proxy of this type...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Main Authors: Helama, Samuli, Rinne, Katja, Nielsen, Jan Kresten, Nielsen, Jesper Kresten, Heikkila, Pasi
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2015
Subjects:
Arctica islandica
Ocean acidification
Ocean quahog
Online Access:http://acikerisim.sdu.edu.tr/xmlui/handle/123456789/91903
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4495-5
https://avesis.sdu.edu.tr/publication/details/54c679dc-9b22-4611-b209-8c5f6418a728/oai
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Summary:Understanding of the uranium uptake processes (both in vivo and post-mortem) into the skeletal structures of marine calcifiers is a subject of multidisciplinary interest. U-concentration changes within the molluscan shell may serve as a paleoceanographic proxy of the pH history. A proxy of this type is needed to track the effects of fossil fuel emissions to ocean acidification. Moreover, attaining reliable U-series dates using shell materials would be a geochronological breakthrough. Picturing the high-resolution changes of U-concentrations in shell profiles is now possible by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Here, we analyzed in situ U-concentration variations in sub-fossilized shells of ocean quahog (Arctica islandica), a commonly studied bivalve species in Quaternary geoscience, using LA-ICP-MS. Microstructural details of the shell profiles were achieved by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Comparison of the shell aragonite microstructure with the changes in U-concentration revealed that uranium of possibly secondary origin is concentrated into the porous granular layers of the shell. Our results reinforce the hypothesis that U-concentration variations can be linked with microstructural differences within the shell. A combination of LA-ICP-MS and SEM analyses is recommended as an interesting approach for understanding the U-concentration variations in similar materials.

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