Organisms accumulate major and trace elements (including metals) directly from the external environment and/or indirectly through diet. As such, their elemental composition can help to infer dietary preferences, solve trophic links and/or inform quantitative dietary analysis primarily based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes or on fatty acids (Lahaye et al. 2005, Ramos and González-Solís 2012, Soto et al. 2016, Majdi et al. 2018). This dataset reports the total concentrations of 30 major and trace elements analysed in whole bodies or in the muscle tissue of 82 unique species or genera characteristic of meso- to bathypelagic waters (referred as “mesopelagic”) or living on the continental shelf (referred as “other”). The species encompass jellyfish, crustaceans, cephalopods, fish, and were collected in North Atlantic and Mediterranean areas between 1968 and 2018. When available, the sampling method/gear as well as the sampling depth are specified. For the element mercury (Hg), the concentration of organic forms (referred as methyl-Hg) is also given when available, as well the percentage of these organic forms (% methyl-Hg) relative to total Hg. A column specifies whether concentrations are expressed on a dry weight or wet weight basis (weight of the animal tissue after being dried or containing water, respectively). All element concentrations given on a wet weight basis can be converted on a dry weight basis (and vice-versa if necessary) according to the percentages of moisture given for each sample analysed (when available). Data were compiled from 27 published studies/papers for which DOI are indicated, for further details and information on the samples analysed and/or the analytical techniques used.
The data contain measurements of major and trace metal concentrations including rare earth elements (measured with ICP-QMS) as well as Nd isotopic compositions (measured with MC-ICP-MS) for different fractions extracted from core top and older North Atlantic marine sediments. The different fractions are sequential weakly acidic or weakly acid-reductive leaches of bulk sediment, full digestions of the residual sediment, and picked and physically cleaned foraminifera tests. The data were originally used for the assessment of the effectiveness of extracting an authigenic rare earth element signal.
The crystalline aquifer in Ghana’s Pra Basin provides water for over 4 million people as many rivers are polluted by artisanal mining. The aim of the data collection was to understand the origin, quality and chemical evolution of surface water and ground water in order to improve the sustainable management of the resource. Here, we present data on major ions, trace metals, stable oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δ2H) isotope ratios of surface water and ground water and mineralogical composition of rock outcrops from the Pra Basin in Ghana.
The field campaign took place in March 2020 (water sampling) and August 2021 (outcrop sampling). A total of 34 surface water and 56 ground water samples were collected from rivers, public boreholes (depth >30 m) and hand-dug wells (depth < 10 m), respectively. The water samples were analysed for cations and trace metals using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The anions were analysed using the Ion Chromatography (IC). For the stable oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δ2H) isotope ratios, a Picarro L-2140i Ringdown Spectrometer was used. The bulk elemental composition of the rock samples was analysed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The mineralogic composition was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) while the Zeiss Axiophot petrographic microscope was used for the petrographic thin section analysis.
The data generated from all measurements are provided in a .zip folder consisting of four subfolders. Each folder contains Excel files discussed in the file inventory section.
This publication provides a database on metal contamination of sediments collected along seven rivers draining Western Europe (French Rhône, Garonne-Lot, Loire, Meuse, Rhine, Scheldt and Seine Rivers). This dataset is based on both long-term monitoring and scientific research (see column sources). It presents major (Al, Fe) and trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) coming from various solid matrices, such as suspended particulate matter (SPM), dated sediment cores (DSC), and bed and flood deposits (BFD). It also provides information about the extraction procedure, grain-size (expressed as a percentage of the fine particle [silts and clays < 63 µm] proportion in the samples) and total organic carbon (TOC) contents when available. It could be use to assess the level of metal contamination along the river since 1945 and to decipher the key factors influencing metal concentrations in river sediments over space and time.