Chemistry International
Vol. 21, No. 3
May 1999
News
from IUPAC
IUPAC Delegate Report
from 24th Scientific Committee on Oceanic Resaerch (SCOR) Assembly
Amsterdam, Netherlands,
1 - 6 November 1998
Professor
David Turner (Department of Analytical and Marine Chemistry, Goteborg
University, SE-412 96 Goteborg, Sweden; E-mail: [email protected]),
IUPAC delegate to the 24th SCOR Assembly held in Amsterdam 1 - 6 November
1998, has submitted the following report:
A written report briefly summarizing IUPAC's marine-related
activities was submitted to SCOR in advance of the Assembly (see below).
I presented the report to the SCOR Assembly, and reported that the planning
group on sea salt solubilities (Commission V.9) was still considering
whether and how to prepare a proposal for financial support from SCOR.
SCOR invited IUPAC to consider a future joint project
on estuarine particles, which had been the subject of a SCOR Working
Group in the late 1990s. This group had not been able to produce a final
report, in part owing to lack of a conceptual framework in which to
synthesize a diverse range of field observations. SCOR considered that
a new initiative in this area would be timely, and invited IUPAC to
consider establishing this initiative as a second joint project. I gave
a personal view that estuarine particles would be an excellent subject
for a volume in the IUPAC series on Analytical and Physical Chemistry
of Environmental Systems, produced by Commission VI.1, and undertook
to explore the matter further with this Commission with a view to being
able to present an outline proposal to the IUPAC and SCOR meetings in
summer/autumn 1999.
While in Amsterdam, I also acted as IUPAC co-chair of
the joint IUPAC-SCOR Working Group on marine biogeochemistry of iron
(SCOR WG109). The Working Group met over two days to review the seven
draft chapters that had been submitted and circulated to all Working
Group members in advance of the meeting. For each chapter, the discussion
was led by a previously appointed lead reviewer, but the whole group
was fully involved in the review process, leading to intensive and constructive
working group sessions. The revised chapters, after further review and
editing, will be published in the IUPAC series on Analytical and Physical
Chemistry of Environmental Systems, with publication planned for late
1999. Although production of this book had been planned as the final
activity of the Working Group, an ad hoc group met to discuss the need
for standard materials for low iron concentrations in seawater, and
for other intercalibration and validation activities related to iron
measurements. SCOR agreed to support a small workshop meeting on this
topic in early 1999 as a further activity of WG109. No direct IUPAC
involvement in this activity is planned.
The Working Group's meeting was preceded by an international
symposium on the marine biogeochemistry of iron. This symposium was
sponsored by SCOR and attracted leading researchers from all around
the world. The symposium provided a very stimulating introduction and
complement to the Working Group meeting.
In conclusion, I consider that the collaboration between
IUPAC and SCOR in the area of marine chemistry is proving to be very
productive and a benefit to both organizations.
Report of IUPAC Activities Relevant to SCOR
Several IUPAC Commissions have current projects of interest to
SCOR; these projects are briefly summarized below.
Commissions V.2 (Microchemical Techniques), VI.1 (Fundamental
Environmental Chemistry), and VII.C.2 (Toxicology).
These three commissions are jointly developing guidelines
for terms related to chemical speciation and fractionation of trace
elements. A draft manuscript is now undergoing internal review within
IUPAC.
Commission V.6 (Equilibrium Data)
A project entitled "Influence of pressure on chemical
equilibria in aqueous solutions-with particular reference to sea water"
has resulted in a paper which is now undergoing internal review within
IUPAC prior to publication.
Commission V.8 (Solubility Data)
The project "Solubilities of oceanic salt systems and
related systems" is still in the planning stage. A report from the latest
project group meeting held in August 1998 is not available at the time
of writing.
Commission VI.1 (Fundamental Environmental Chemistry)
This Commission is co-sponsor of SCOR WG109 and has one
other project relevant to SCOR. Volume 6 in the IUPAC series on Analytical
and Physical Chemistry of Environmental Systems is entitled In situ
Analytical Techniques for Water and Sediments. This volume is currently
in preparation; a workshop meeting to review draft chapters was held
in July 1998. The book includes applications in both fresh and saline
waters.