the release of untreated road run-off. The impact of
human activity on levels of dissolved Pt and Pd in
coastal waters is not well documented. Similarly, in
the marine environment, the chemical form of anthropogenic PGEs, and the extent to which these
metals are subject to biological uptake are also
poorly known. These gaps in our knowledge of the
marine chemistry of the PGEs will likely influence the
future direction of marine PGE research.
Summary
The PGEs are among the least abundant elements in
sea water. The low concentrations of these metals in
sea water reflect their generally low concentration
in earth surface material rather than uniformly low
solubility. Although there is a general consensus regarding the approximate concentrations of these
metals in sea water, their vertical distribution in the
water column remains controversial and poorly documented. Improving our understanding of the marine
chemistry of the PGEs both in the water column and in
marine sediments is important to interpreting the
marine Os isotope record, exploiting PGEs as tracers
of extraterrestrial material in marine sediments, and
understanding the consequences of anthropogenic release of PGEs to the marine environment.
Further Reading
Donat JR and Bruland KW (1995) Trace elements in the
oceans. In: Steinnes E and Salbu B (eds.) Trace Elements
in Natural Waters, ch. 11. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Goldberg ED and Koide M (1990) Understanding the
marine chemistries of the platinum group metals.
Marine Chemistry 30: 249--257.
Helmers E and Kummerer K (eds) (1997) Platinum group
elements in the environment – anthropogenic impact.
Environtal Science and Pollution Research 4: 99.
Kyte FT (1988) The extraterrestrial component in marine
sediments:
description
and
interpretation.
Paleoceanography 3: 235--247.
Lee DS (1983) Palladium and nickel in north-east Pacific
waters. Nature 313: 782--785.
Peucker-Ehrenbrink B and Ravizza G (2001) The marine
Os isotope record: a review. Terra Nova, in press.
Peucker-Ehrenbrink B (1996) Accretion of extraterrestrial
matter during the last 80 million years and its effect on
the marine osmium isotope record. Geochimica et
Cosmochimica Acta 60: 3187--3196.
38 PLATINUM GROUP ELEMENTS AND THEIR ISOTOPES IN THE OCEAN
human activity on levels of dissolved Pt and Pd in
coastal waters is not well documented. Similarly, in
the marine environment, the chemical form of anthropogenic PGEs, and the extent to which these
metals are subject to biological uptake are also
poorly known. These gaps in our knowledge of the
marine chemistry of the PGEs will likely influence the
future direction of marine PGE research.
Summary
The PGEs are among the least abundant elements in
sea water. The low concentrations of these metals in
sea water reflect their generally low concentration
in earth surface material rather than uniformly low
solubility. Although there is a general consensus regarding the approximate concentrations of these
metals in sea water, their vertical distribution in the
water column remains controversial and poorly documented. Improving our understanding of the marine
chemistry of the PGEs both in the water column and in
marine sediments is important to interpreting the
marine Os isotope record, exploiting PGEs as tracers
of extraterrestrial material in marine sediments, and
understanding the consequences of anthropogenic release of PGEs to the marine environment.
Further Reading
Donat JR and Bruland KW (1995) Trace elements in the
oceans. In: Steinnes E and Salbu B (eds.) Trace Elements
in Natural Waters, ch. 11. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Goldberg ED and Koide M (1990) Understanding the
marine chemistries of the platinum group metals.
Marine Chemistry 30: 249--257.
Helmers E and Kummerer K (eds) (1997) Platinum group
elements in the environment – anthropogenic impact.
Environtal Science and Pollution Research 4: 99.
Kyte FT (1988) The extraterrestrial component in marine
sediments:
description
and
interpretation.
Paleoceanography 3: 235--247.
Lee DS (1983) Palladium and nickel in north-east Pacific
waters. Nature 313: 782--785.
Peucker-Ehrenbrink B and Ravizza G (2001) The marine
Os isotope record: a review. Terra Nova, in press.
Peucker-Ehrenbrink B (1996) Accretion of extraterrestrial
matter during the last 80 million years and its effect on
the marine osmium isotope record. Geochimica et
Cosmochimica Acta 60: 3187--3196.
38 PLATINUM GROUP ELEMENTS AND THEIR ISOTOPES IN THE OCEAN