New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Copper and nickel in surface waters of Otago Harbour

R. J. DICKSON

K. A. HUNTER

Department of Chemistry University of Otago P.O. Box 56 Dunedin, New Zealand

Abstract The concentrations of Cu and Ni soluble at pH 2 were measured in surface waters of Otago Harbour using methodology that pays careful attention to measurement and control of sources of trace metal contamination. Both elements were preconcentrated by coprecipitation with cobalt pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry with an overall extraction yield of 97%. Samples were not filtered because of the excessive contamination caused by membrane filters and the filtration apparatus. Concentrations of Cu (0.1-0.2 M-g/kg) and Ni (0.33 jxg/kg) at the mouth of Otago Harbour were within the range of recent data for oceanic surface waters. Cadmium concentrations in the samples were found to be below the detection limit of 0.1 u,g/kg. Ni displayed uniform concentrations throughout the harbour, and Cu exhibited an increase in concentration landwards from the harbour entrance that is consistent with known hydrographic chemical properties of this system. Mass-balance considerations indicated that industrial, freshwater, and atmospheric inputs of Cu were negligible. Cu accumulation in the upper harbour was probably a result of injection from harbour sediments.

Keywords Otago Harbour; copper; nickel; contamination; water pollution; water analysis.

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1981, Vol. 15:475-480 Received 26 November 1980

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (516K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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