DISSOLVED GOLD IN SURFACE WATERS OF THE N ORTH-EASTERN ATLANTIC

High-precision determination of dissolved gold in surface waters of th e north-eastern Atlantic were done with the help of stepwise laser ato m photoionization. The solute gold was after preconcentrated with the chelating sorbent Poliorgs XI-H aboard an R/V immediately after the sa mple was taken. The measurements showed that concentrations of Au-diss were extremely low and varied from 0.1 to 3.7 pmol/l (0.02 to 0.7 ng/ l). The distribution of dissolved gold in surface waters in that part of the ocean, including the Northern and the Norwegian seas, was simil ar to the manganese distribution, which was measured at the same time with gold, A conclusion was made that most gold in the ocean surface w aters comes from fallout of atmospheric dust, The role of river input in bringing gold into seas and oceanic coastal waters seemed to he far lower than that for manganese.