The oxidation state diagram: stability of dissolved sulphur species in seawater

Abstract

Oxidation state diagrams have been constructed for different sulphur species. Sulphur oxyacids are stressed with respect to their key role in the cycling of inorganic sulphur species, besides sulphides and elemental sulphur. Following the stable sulphate species in seawater, metastable species are S₄O₆^2-, S₂O₃^2- and S⁰. Stability of different species found from these diagrams were compared with the earlier literature. A case study, from Solar Lake (Sinai) is inconcurrent with the results of the present diagrams.