Partitioning and distribution of dissolved copper, cadmium and organic matter in Mediterranean marine coastal areas: The case of a mucilage event

Dissolved copper and cadmium partitioning and their interaction with organic matter were investigated in shallow coastal areas of the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean). The percentage of DGT-labile copper as for total dissolved copper ranged from 13 to 34% during summer and from 23 to 36% during winter, whereas the corresponding percentage for DGT-labile cadmium was higher in summer (38–68%), in comparison to winter (29–44%). The CCu was found to be 100–260 nM during summer while in winter the range was 42–430 nM. The corresponding CCd reached 27 and 45 nM, respectively. The mean TEP value in summer was high (208 μg/L xanthan equiv.), while in winter it reached 441 μg/L xanthan equiv., which indicates significant phytoplankton activity in winter, a feature occasionally observed in the stratified study areas after the breaking down of the thermocline/pycnocline, followed by consequent nutrient enrichment of the surface layers by nutrients accumulated in the sea bottom. A significant fraction of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exhibited surface active properties and was determined as surface active substances (SAS) in mg/L eq. of nonionic surfactant Triton-X-100. Carbohydrates were also determined and they represented up to 33% of the DOC