Preliminary investigations on picoplankton-related precipitation of alkaline-earth metal carbonates in meso-oligotrophic lake Geneva (Switzerland)

In the course of a routine water-quality survey in meso-oligotrophic lake Geneva (Switzerland), suspended matter was collected by filtration on 0.2 μm membranes in July and August 2012 at the depth of maximal chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration (2 mg m–3). Examination by scanning electron microscopy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of limnology 2013-01, Vol.72 (3), p.50-605
Main Authors: Jaquet, Jean-Michel, Nirel, Pascale, Martignier, Agathe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alkaline earth metals
Analytical methods
Anions
Barium
Bio-mediated carbonate precipitation, alkaline-earth metals, freshwater, picoplankton
Calcium
Carbonates
Cations
Cells
Chemical precipitation
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll a
Composition
Electron microscopy
Epilimnion
Freshwater
Heavy metals
Magnesium
Membranes
Microspheres
Mucilage
Mucilages
Oligotrophic lakes
Phosphorus
Picoplankton
Precipitation
Reflectance
Scanning electron microscopy
Strontium
Surveying
Suspended matter
Vertical distribution
Water quality
X-ray spectroscopy
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Summary:In the course of a routine water-quality survey in meso-oligotrophic lake Geneva (Switzerland), suspended matter was collected by filtration on 0.2 μm membranes in July and August 2012 at the depth of maximal chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration (2 mg m–3). Examination by scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of numerous dark and gelatinous patches occluding the pores of the membranes, containing high numbers of picoplanktonic cells and, in places, clusters of high-reflectance smooth microspheres (1-2 μm in diameter). Their chemical composition, determined by semi-quantitative, energy-dispersive X ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr) and barium (Ba) (alkaline earth metals) to be the dominant cations. Among the anions, phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) were present, but only the latter is considered here (as carbonate). The microspheres were subdivided into four types represented in a Ca-Sr-Ba ternary space. All types are confined within a domain bound by Ca>45, Sr
ISSN:1129-5767
1723-8633
DOI:10.4081/jlimnol.2013.e50