Copper-binding ligands in deep-sea pore waters of the Pacific Ocean and potential impacts of polymetallic nodule mining on the copper cycle.

Paul, Sophie A. L., Zitoun, Rebecca, Noowong, Ann, Manirajah, Mythili and Koschinsky, Andrea (2021) Copper-binding ligands in deep-sea pore waters of the Pacific Ocean and potential impacts of polymetallic nodule mining on the copper cycle. Open Access Scientific Reports, 11 . Art.Nr. 18425. DOI 10.1038/s41598-021-97813-3.

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Abstract

The release of potentially toxic metals, such as copper (Cu), into the water column is of concern during polymetallic nodule mining. The bioavailability and thus toxicity of Cu is strongly influenced by its speciation which is dominated by organic ligand (L) complexation in seawater, with L-complexes being considered less bioavailable than free Cu 2+ . The presence of CuL-complexes in deep-sea sediments has, however, not been systematically studied in the context of deep-sea mining. We thus analyzed the Cu-binding L concentration ([L]) in deep-sea pore waters of two polymetallic nodule provinces in the Pacific Ocean, the Peru Basin and the Clarion-Clipperton-Zone, using competitive ligand equilibration–adsorptive stripping voltammetry. The pore-water dissolved Cu concentration ([dCu]) ranged from 3 to 96 nM, generally exceeding bottom water concentrations (4–44 nM). Based on fitting results from ProMCC and Excel, Cu was predominantly complexed by L (3–313 nM) in bottom waters and undisturbed pore waters. We conclude that processes like deep-sea mining are unlikely to cause a release of toxic Cu 2+ concentrations ([Cu 2+ ]) to the seawater as > 99% Cu was organically complexed in pore waters and the [Cu 2+ ] was < 6 pM for 8 of 9 samples. Moreover, the excess of L found especially in shallow pore waters implied that even with a Cu release through mining activities, Cu 2+ likely remains beneath toxic thresholds.

Document Type: Article
Funder compliance: BMBF:03F0707G ; BMBF:03F0812G
Keywords: copper-binding ligands, deep-sea mining, bioavailability, metal toxicity
Research affiliation: NIOZ
OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB1 Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics > FB1-P-OZ Paleo-Oceanography
Main POF Topic: PT2: Ocean and Cryosphere
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: Yes
Publisher: Nature Research
Projects: JPIO-MiningImpact
Expeditions/Models/Experiments:
Date Deposited: 27 Sep 2021 08:33
Last Modified: 07 Feb 2024 15:46
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/54148

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