Influence of phytoplankton on complexing capacity of seawater†

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Abstract
Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (DPASV) was employed to measure Apparent Copper Complexing Capacity (Lt) and Stability Constants (Ks) of related cupric complexes of cell exudates of the phytoplanktonic alga Dunaliella salina. Three natural seawater samples collected 0.1, 2, 5 miles off the Tyrrhenian coast were used as culture medium. The measurements were carried out 1h and 7 days after the inoculum. Furthermore, on one culture the medium was passed through C18‐SEP‐PAK cartridges in order to separate the cell exudates. The results show that Dunaliella salina influences the value of Lt but does not affect the value of Ks . The C18SEP‐PAK retain only 50% of the ligands produced by the cells and capable of complexing copper.