Particles were collected from the dilute portion of neutrally buoyant hydrothermal plumes from four Mid-Atlantic Ridge sites (MARK, 23 ¿N; TAG, 26 ¿N; Broken Spur, 29 ¿N; Lucky Strike, 37 ¿N). Comparison of data from proximal portions of the TAG (Atlantic) [German et al., 1991; this study> and North Cleft (Pacific) [Feely et al., 1994> plumes show that oxyanion (e.g., V) scavenging is more efficient at TAG, possibly due to a higher proportion of Fe removed as sulfides at North Cleft and/or the more vigorous mixing in the high energy TAG buoyant plume. Chalcophile elements (e.g., Cu) show two stage removal. They are precipitated as sulfides during initial mixing of vent fluids with seawater and are sedimented from the buoyant plume. In the dilute plume they are scavenged from seawater by Fe oxyhydroxides. The REE show continued scavenging in the neutrally buoyant plume and lower levels in 1993 samples, compared to 1988 samples [German et al., 1990> suggesting that the amount of scavenging is related to particle recycling. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1996