Summary
An investigation is described which examines the influence of long-term storage on the salinity of bottled seawater samples in common soft glass bottles. Two experiments were carried out over independent time periods, the first one covering 7 months and the second one 16 months. The results show that long-term storage increases mean salinity and variance. During the first 6 months a rate of change of about 0.0012 in 30 days is observed. After that time the rate of change decreases to about 0.0004 per 30 days. The observed curve is interpreted as desorption of glass components into the seawater sample. Evaporation and the influence of efficient biological activities can be excluded confidently. For the salinity sample bottles used in the physical laboratories in Kiel the results make long-term stored salinity samples inappropriate for accurate in-situ calibration of modern CTD devices. The details of the chemical reactions were not investigated.
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References
Grasshoff, K., 1983: Filtration and storage. In: Methods of seawater analysis. (Ed.: K. Grasshoff et al.) Weinheim: Verl. Chemie. 419 pp.
Sy, A. and H.-H. Hinrichsen, 1983: Untersuchung der langzeitlichen Veränderlichkeit von Salzgehaltsproben. [unpublished manuscript].
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Alexander, S., Hinrichsen, HH. The influence of long-term storage on the salinity of bottled seawater samples. Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift 39, 35–40 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02330522
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02330522