Editing Silver (section)

===In marine environments===
Silver concentration is low in [[seawater]] (pmol/L). Levels vary by depth and between water bodies. Dissolved silver concentrations range from 0.3&nbsp;pmol/L in coastal surface waters to 22.8&nbsp;pmol/L in pelagic deep waters.<ref name="Barriada-2007">{{cite journal|last1=Barriada|first1=Jose L.|last2=Tappin|first2=Alan D.|last3=Evans|first3=E. Hywel|last4=Achterberg|first4=Eric P.|title=Dissolved silver measurements in seawater|journal=TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry|volume=26|issue=8|year=2007|pages=809–817|doi=10.1016/j.trac.2007.06.004}}</ref> Analysing the presence and dynamics of silver in marine environments is difficult due to these particularly low concentrations and complex interactions in the environment.<ref name="Fischer-2018">{{cite journal|last1=Fischer|first1=Lisa|last2=Smith|first2=Geoffrey|last3=Hann|first3=Stephan|last4=Bruland|first4=Kenneth W.|title=Ultra-trace analysis of silver and platinum in seawater by ICP-SFMS after off-line matrix separation and pre-concentration|journal=Marine Chemistry|volume=199|year=2018|pages=44–52|doi=10.1016/j.marchem.2018.01.006|bibcode=2018MarCh.199...44F |doi-access=free}}</ref> Although a rare trace metal, concentrations are greatly impacted by fluvial, aeolian, atmospheric, and upwelling inputs, as well as anthropogenic inputs via discharge, waste disposal, and emissions from industrial companies.<ref name="Ndung’u-2001">{{cite journal|last1=Ndung’u|first1=K.|last2=Thomas|first2=M.A.|last3=Flegal|first3=A.R.|title=Silver in the western equatorial and South Atlantic Ocean|journal=Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography|volume=48|issue=13|year=2001|pages=2933–2945|doi=10.1016/S0967-0645(01)00025-X|bibcode=2001DSRII..48.2933N}}</ref><ref name="Zhang-2001">{{cite journal|last1=Zhang|first1=Yan|last2=Amakawa|first2=Hiroshi|last3=Nozaki|first3=Yoshiyuki|title=Oceanic profiles of dissolved silver: precise measurements in the basins of western North Pacific, Sea of Okhotsk, and the Japan Sea|journal=Marine Chemistry|volume=75|issue=1–2|year=2001|pages=151–163|doi=10.1016/S0304-4203(01)00035-4|bibcode=2001MarCh..75..151Z }}</ref> Other internal processes such as decomposition of organic matter may be a source of dissolved silver in deeper waters, which feeds into some surface waters through upwelling and vertical mixing.<ref name="Zhang-2001" />

In the Atlantic and Pacific, silver concentrations are minimal at the surface but rise in deeper waters.<ref name="Flegal-1995">{{cite journal|last1=Flegal|first1=A.R.|last2=Sañudo-Wilhelmy|first2=S.A.|last3=Scelfo|first3=G.M.|title=Silver in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean|journal=Marine Chemistry|volume=49|issue=4|year=1995|pages=315–320|doi=10.1016/0304-4203(95)00021-I|bibcode=1995MarCh..49..315F }}</ref> Silver is taken up by plankton in the photic zone, remobilized with depth, and enriched in deep waters. Silver is transported from the Atlantic to the other oceanic water masses.<ref name="Ndung’u-2001" /> In North Pacific waters, silver is remobilised at a slower rate and increasingly enriched compared to deep Atlantic waters. Silver has increasing concentrations that follow the major oceanic conveyor belt that cycles water and nutrients from the North Atlantic to the South Atlantic to the North Pacific.<ref name="Ranville-2005">{{cite journal|last1=Ranville|first1=Mara A.|last2=Flegal|first2=A. Russell|title=Silver in the North Pacific Ocean|journal=Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems|volume=6|issue=3|year=2005|pages=n/a|doi=10.1029/2004GC000770|bibcode=2005GGG.....6.3M01R|doi-access=free}}</ref>

There is not an extensive amount of data focused on how marine life is affected by silver despite the likely deleterious effects it could have on organisms through [[bioaccumulation]], association with particulate matters, and [[sorption]].<ref name="Barriada-2007" /> Not until about 1984 did scientists begin to understand the chemical characteristics of silver and the potential toxicity. In fact, [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] is the only other trace metal that surpasses the toxic effects of silver; the full silver toxicity extent is not expected in oceanic conditions because of its tendency to transfer into nonreactive biological compounds.<ref name="Ratte-1999">{{cite journal|last1=Ratte|first1=Hans Toni|title=Bioaccumulation and toxicity of silver compounds: A review|journal=Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry|volume=18|issue=1|year=1999|pages=89–108|doi=10.1002/etc.5620180112|s2cid=129765758 |doi-access=free|bibcode=1999EnvTC..18...89R }}</ref>

In one study, the presence of excess ionic silver and silver [[nanoparticle]]s caused bioaccumulation effects on zebrafish organs and altered the chemical pathways within their gills.<ref name="Lacave-2018">{{cite journal|last1=Lacave|first1=José María|last2=Vicario-Parés|first2=Unai|last3=Bilbao|first3=Eider|last4=Gilliland|first4=Douglas|last5=Mura|first5=Francesco|last6=Dini|first6=Luciana|last7=Cajaraville|first7=Miren P.|last8=Orbea|first8=Amaia|title=Waterborne exposure of adult zebrafish to silver nanoparticles and to ionic silver results in differential silver accumulation and effects at cellular and molecular levels|journal=Science of the Total Environment|volume=642|year=2018|pages=1209–1220|doi=10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.128|pmid=30045502|bibcode=2018ScTEn.642.1209L|s2cid=51719111}}</ref> In addition, very early experimental studies demonstrated how the toxic effects of silver fluctuate with salinity and other parameters, as well as between life stages and different species such as finfish, molluscs, and crustaceans.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Calabrese, A.|author2= Thurberg, F.P.|author3= Gould, E. |year=1977|title=Effects of Cadmium, Mercury, and Silver on Marine Animals|journal= Marine Fisheries Review|volume= 39|issue=4|pages=5–11|url=
https://fliphtml5.com/hzci/lbsc/basic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126043259/https://fliphtml5.com/hzci/lbsc/basic |archive-date=26 January 2021 }}</ref> Another study found raised concentrations of silver in the muscles and liver of dolphins and whales, indicating pollution of this metal within recent decades. Silver is not an easy metal for an organism to eliminate and elevated concentrations can cause death.<ref name="Chen-2017">{{cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=Meng-Hsien|last2=Zhuang|first2=Ming-Feng|last3=Chou|first3=Lien-Siang|last4=Liu|first4=Jean-Yi|last5=Shih|first5=Chieh-Chih|last6=Chen|first6=Chiee-Young|title=Tissue concentrations of four Taiwanese toothed cetaceans indicating the silver and cadmium pollution in the western Pacific Ocean|journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin|volume=124|issue=2|year=2017|pages=993–1000|doi=10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.03.028|pmid=28442199|bibcode=2017MarPB.124..993C }}</ref>