Development of a sequential extraction method for different forms of phosphorus in marine sediments

Abstract

A sequential extraction method (SEDEX) has been developed to separately quantify five sedimentary P reservoirs: loosely sorbed P; ferric iron‐bound P; authigenic carbonate fluorapatite + biogenic apatite + CaCO 3 ‐associated P; detrital apatite P; and organic P. The SEDEX method successfully separates two of the main categories of authigenic phosphate phases called upon most often as sedimentary sinks for diagenetically mobilized P: ferric oxyhydroxide‐associated P and authigenic carbonate fluorapatite (CFAP). It offers a means for separating authigenic CFAP from detrital apatite of igneous or metamorphic origin. The importance of this distinction is that CFAP represents an oceanic sink for reactive P, whereas detrital apatite does not. In addition, a means for reversing secondary adsorption of P onto residual solid surfaces during extraction has been developed. Extensive standardization of the SEDEX method for application to marine sediments has been performed with analogs for naturally occurring phosphatic phases.