A lower limit to the universal density of metals at z similar to 3

Column density distribution functions of C IV with 12.05 less than or equal to log(N) less than or equal to 14.35 and Si IV with 11.70 less than or equal to log(N) less than or equal to 13.93 have been obtained using 81 C IV absorbers and 35 Si Iv absorbers redward of the Ly alpha forest in the lines of sight to seven quasars with 2.518 less than or equal to z(em) less than or equal to 3.78. These distribution functions have been directly integrated to yield ion densities at z = 3-3.5 of Omega(C IV) = (2.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(-8) and Omega(Si IV) = (7.0 +/- 2.6) x 10(-9) with H-0 = 65 km s(-1) Mpc(-1) and q(0) = 0.02 (1 sigma errors). A larger sample of 11 quasar lines of sight was used to measure C II/C IV, Si III/Si IV, and N V/C IV ratios, which suggest that C IV and Si IV are the dominant ionization stages and that corrections to Omega(Carbon) and Omega(Silicon) are no more than a factor of 2. Normalizing the alpha-process elements to silicon and the Fe-coproduction elements to carbon gives a density of heavy elements in these forest clouds of Omega(metals) = (3.3 +/- 0.8) x 10(-7) (H-0 = 65, q(0) = 0.02). The implications for the amount of star formation and for the ionization of the intergalactic medium prior to z = 3 are discussed.