Precise determination of the cerium isotopic compositions of surface seawater in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and Tokyo Bay

We succeeded in determining the Ce isotopic composition (138Ce/142Ce) in seawater with an error of 2σm = 0.3–0.7 of ε unit. In this study, 1000–3000 L of seawater samples were passed through MnO2 fibers to concentrate Ce and Nd for precise measurement of their isotope ratios. Four surface seawater samples of the northwestern Pacific and a coastal sample in Tokyo Bay were analyzed. Most Ce isotope ratios in the surface water showed positive εCe values (+ 0.8 to + 1.4) in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. These values indicate that Ce in the surface water originates from the continental crust preferentially over mantle-derived materials. We examined binary mixing model between the continental crust and mid-ocean ridge basalt. However the model could not explain both isotopic compositions and concentrations, which implies that the atmospheric input was a possible pathway for Ce into the ocean. A negative εCe value was observed in Tokyo Bay, suggesting mantle-derived sources.