Variation in the Cadmium Concentration Related to Phosphate in the Surface Layer of the Equatorial Pacific

Variation in the cadmium (Cd) concentration related to phosphate (PO₄) in the surface layer (0–150 m) of the equatorial Pacific (175°E, 170°W, and 160°W) was investigated in January of 2001 and 2002. A plot of Cd against PO₄ from 0 to 150 m showed good linearity, and plotted points shifted in the direction of the origin along the regression line from 2001 to 2002. The variation of the Cd concentration in the surface layer was attributed to biological uptake-regeneration, the variation of subsurface water concentration, and the upwelling effect at each station in connection with the El Nino phenomenon.