Unravelling Metal Speciation in the Microenvironment Surrounding Phytoplankton Cells to Improve Predictions of Metal Bioavailability.

ABSTRACT: A lack of knowledge on metal speciation in the microenvironment surrounding phytoplankton cells (i.e., the phycosphere) represents an impediment to accurately predicting metal bioavailability. Phycosphere pH and O₂ concentrations from a diversity of algae species were compiled. For marine algae in the light, the average increases were 0.32 pH units and 0.17 mM O₂ in the phycosphere, whereas in the dark the average decreases were 0.10 pH units and 0.03 mM O₂, in comparison to bulk seawater. In freshwater algae, the phycosphere pH increased by 1.28 units, whereas O₂ increased by 0.38 mM in the light. Equilibrium modeling showed that the pH alteration influenced the chemical species distribution (i.e., free ion, inorganic complexes, and organic comp

SUBMITTER: Liu F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7467636 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature