Semi-empirical Theory of Mineral and Radioisotopic Exchange of Living and Inert Matter in the Marine Environment

Abstract

This chapter presents a description of the semi-empirical theory of the mineral and radioisotopic exchange of living and inert matter in the marine environment. It describes methods of parametrisation and verification of differential models of closed systems based on the results of field observations and aquarium experiments using radiolabelling. The scope of applicability of compartment-based balance models is substantiated on the basis of assumptions that the sorption of chemical substrates proceeds in accordance with metabolic reactions of the first or zero orders and that their desorption or intravital excretion by hydrobionts is proportional to their content in living or inert matter. Empirical models have been developed that take into account radioactive decay, the size spectra of allochthonous particles and hydrobionts, the generative and somatic growth of individual marine organism specimens, production processes and the specific mass of living and inert matter in the marine environment, the concentration of radionuclides with their isotopic and non-isotopic carriers, physical and chemical sorption processes, the biotic transformation of physicochemical forms of pollutants, as well as the limitation of primary production processes by biogenic elements in the parenteral and alimentary pathways of the mineral nutrition of aquatic organisms, here referred to as hydrobionts.