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Science 31 March 1978:
Vol. 199. no. 4336, pp. 1431 - 1433
DOI: 10.1126/science.199.4336.1431
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Articles

Recent Biogenic Phosphorite: Concretions in Mollusk Kidneys

LARR J. DOYLE 1, NORMAN J. BLAKE 1, C. C. WOO 2, and PAUL YEVICH 3

1 Department of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg 33701
2 U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
3 Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882

Phosphorite concretions have been detected in the kidneys of two widespread species of mollusks, Mercenaria mercenaria and Argopecten irradians, which have relatively high population densities. These concretions are the first documentation of the direct biogenic formation of phosphorite grains. The concretions are principally amorphous calcium phosphate, which upon being heated yields an x-ray diffraction pattern which is essentially that of chlorapatite. These concretions appear to be a normal formation of the excretory process of mollusks under reproductive, environmental, or pollutant-induced stress. Biogenic production of phosphorite concretions over long periods of time and diagenetic change from amorphous to crystalline structure, coupled with secondary enrichment, may account for the formation of some marine phosphorite desposits which are not easily explained by the chemical precipitation-replacement hypothesis.

Submitted on June 3, 1977
Revised on November 28, 1977


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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