Overview of Literature on the Potential Impact of Dissolved Cu, Cd, Zn, Mn, Fe and Pb on Marine Phytoplankton

This dataset provides a harmonised compilation of experimentally derived dissolved trace metal (dTM) concentrations associated with observed biological responses in marine phytoplankton. The dataset focuses on six trace metals of ecological and biogeochemical importance: Copper (Cu), Cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), and Lead (Pb). It was developed to support comparative synthesis of trace metal effects on marine phytoplankton across laboratory and shipboard experimental studies. The dataset compiles response concentrations reported in 16 peer-reviewed scientific publications spanning multiple decades of marine ecotoxicological and biogeochemical research. Experimental observations encompass negative (toxic), positive(growth) and neutral responses across a broad range of phytoplankton taxa and functional groups, including coastal and open-ocean species, as well as cyanobacteria and size-fractionated assemblages. To improve comparability across studies, all reported concentrations were standardised to nanomolar (nM). Original concentration values and units reported in source publications were retained alongside harmonised values to preserve transparency and reproducibility. Metadata associated with each record includes study location, experimental conditions, growth medium, phytoplankton taxonomic identity, observed biological response, and impact interpretation. Observed responses were categorised into three broad response classes based on interpretations reported in the original studies: Negative responses: toxic or inhibitory effects such as growth inhibition, physiological stress, EC50, IC50, LC50, or LOEC thresholds. Positive responses: growth enhancement or stimulatory effects, including increased chlorophyll-a production or improved photosynthetic performance. Neutral responses: no measurable biological effect, including NOEC-type observations. The dataset was manually compiled and curated in Microsoft Excel through direct extraction from manuscript text and tables. Quality control procedures excluded records lacking explicit concentration values, phytoplankton identification, or sufficient experimental metadata. No statistical reconstruction or modelling was applied beyond unit standardisation and metadata harmonisation. This dataset is intended for use in: Marine ecotoxicological synthesis Comparative analyses of trace metal toxicity and stimulation thresholds Marine biogeochemical and ecosystem modelling Cross-study evaluation of phytoplankton sensitivity to dissolved trace metals Users should note that variability in experimental design, culture conditions, analytical methods, detection limits, and phytoplankton physiology among studies may influence cross-study comparability. Where applicable, uncertainties associated with source-reported measurements were retained from the original references. The dataset represents a processed derivative of raw extracted experimental data and is designed to facilitate transparent and reproducible synthesis of dissolved trace metal effects on marine phytoplankton communities.