Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2018
Experimental geochemical studies have shown the effectiveness of Cd removal from freshwaters by sorption onto calcite and aragonite. The strong affinity of Cd for these minerals suggests that a similar inorganic uptake could take place in the oceans. In this study, we have carried out sorption experiments by reacting calcite particles with Cd-enriched artificial seawater. Cadmium concentrations in solution were determined by ICP-AES. Salinity-normalized Cd concentrations showed an average net decrease of 30%. Depending on several factors, this inorganic uptake could influence the seawater concentrations of Cd in certain locations, and even contribute to a natural regulation of the concentration of this metal in the oceans.