Determination of Lithium Abundances in Seawater in the Southern Coast of the Caspian Sea and River Estuaries

The mineral resources of the Caspian Sea attract the most attention and this region been one of the most significant geopolitical and economic centers in Eurasia. The utilization of valuable minerals will have a significant effect on the economic development of the region. The sea is a rich source of lithium; its analysis in the Caspian Sea has been evaluated using the flame atomic emission spectroscopy as a simple, fast and reliable method with high accuracy and sensitivity. In this study, water samples were collected from estuaries, surface and depth waters of Babolsar, Mahmoudabad, Freydonkenar in the central southern coast of the Caspian Sea. After sample treatments, the lithium in water samples was measured by standard addition and atomic emission spectrophotometer. The average amount of lithium were determined in estuaries: 15.3±1.1, 14.6±2.2 and 42.3±3.3 µgL-1, in surface waters: 181.7±60.9, 220.0±28.0 and 222.2±10.8 µgL-1, in depth waters 143.7±1.8, 175.8±4.2 and 196.2±5.2 µgL-1 in stations Babolsar, Freydonkenar and Mahmoudabad respectively. The results show that concentration of lithium is reduced with increasing distance from the coastline. The difference between lithium concentration in surface and depth waters have not showed a significant difference in three stations.