Abstract
The relationship between metallic elements and organic matter in marine environments is examined. Under the thermodynamical equilibrium model, it was assumed that the average values of the activity for some metallic elements in marine organisms were equal to those in sea water. It was also assumed that the chemical equilibria were established in each phase of sea water and marine organisms. According to this model, the concentration of metal organic compounds in sea water is linearly related to the total concentration of metals in marine organisms: it can be expressed by the equation CbM=(CbL/CL)Corg.M. It is obtained from this relationship that the logarithmic concentration factor for some metallic elements in phytoplankton was linearly related to the logarithmic ratio of the concentration of the metal organic compounds to the total concentration of the metallic elements dissolved in sea water. The maximum values of the concentration factor of metals in phytoplankton of about 105 could be anticipated from the present theoretical treatment.
