GEOCHEMISTRY OF COBALT, NICKEL, CHROMIUM, AND VANADIUM IN THE SEDIMENTS OF THE ESTUARY AND OPEN GULF OF ST-LAWRENCE

Total Co(3-22 ppm), Ni(4-168 ppm), and Cr(8-241 ppm) concentrations vary regionally and with textural differences in the sediments of the St. Lawrence estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Chemical partition and mineralogical analyses indicate that small but biochemically significant quantities (2-24%) of the total element concentrations are potentially available to the biota and are most likely held by fine-grained organic material, hydrous iron oxides, and ion exchange positions in the sediments. 60-98% of the total Co, Ni, Cr and V is not, however, available to the biota, but held in various sulphide, oxide, and silicate minerals.-from Author