Cadmium isotopic composition in the ocean

Full text: Recent developments in mass spectrometric techniques are allowing the systematic study of metal isotope fractionation in the environment. Cd isotopes have, as yet, received little attention, notwithstanding the well-documented involvement of Cd in biological cycling and its wide range of isotopic masses, which make it a prime candidate for fractionation. We will present the first data in the ocean. A seawater profile from the North Pacific Ocean shows little yet probably significant variations. The later could result from water mass advection or biological processes or both. We will also present a seawater profile from the Mediterranean (Dyfamed site) and measurements in phytoplankton cultures. In addition we will present measurements carried out in a sewage treatment plant (where high bacterial degradation occurs). If confirmed, Cd isotopic fractionation could have wide-ranging biogeochemical and paleoceanographic applications. In particular, it could lead to the development of a paleoceanographic tracer for bottom water oxygen concentration, a parameter that would provide important new constraints on the marine carbon cycle and deep ocean circulation during glacial periods. (author)