THE CHEMISTRY OF THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND IRON SULFIDE SYSTEMS IN NATURAL WATERS

Abstract

Reduced sulfur compounds are ubiquitous components of anaerobic sediments and euxinic marine environments. They are primarily produced through a complex net of both chemically and biologically mediated reactions. This results in a wide variety of dissolved and solid inorganic and organic products.Much of the recent research effort in this area has focused on biogeochemical interactions and modelling sediment diagenesis. Several excellent reviews are available on these specific topics. However, relatively little attention has been paid to more basic inorganic chemistry of this system; the topic of this review.