Purge-and-Trap Gas Chromatography Method for Analysis of Methyl Chloride and Methyl Bromide in Seawater

Spatio-temporal distributions of chlorofluorocarbons and methyl iodide in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary and its adjacent marine area

Temporal and spatial distribution patterns of volatile halogenated organic compounds (VHOCs), such as dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12), trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11), trichlorotrifluoroethane (CFC-113), and methyl iodide (CH3I), in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary and its adjacent marine area were measured during two cruises from 21 February to 10 March 2014 and from 10 to 21 July 2014. VHOC concentrations showed seasonal variation with higher values during winter. VHOC distributions evidently decreased along the freshwater plume from the river mouth to the open sea and from inshore to offshore regions. VHOC distributions were obviously influenced by the Changjiang runoff, anthropogenic inputs, and biological release of phytoplankton. The study area was a net sink for CFC-12 and CFC-11, but a net source for atmospheric CH3I during the study periods.

Distributions and sea-to-air fluxes of chloroform, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, chlorodibromomethane and bromoform in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea during spring

Halocarbons including chloroform (CHCl3), trichloroethylene (C2HCl3), tetrachloroethylene (C2Cl4), chlorodibromomethane (CHBr2Cl) and bromoform (CHBr3) were measured in the Yellow Sea (YS) and the East China Sea (ECS) during spring 2011. The influences of chlorophyll a, salinity and nutrients on the distributions of these gases were examined. Elevated levels of these gases in the coastal waters were attributed to anthropogenic inputs and biological release by phytoplankton. The vertical distributions of these gases in the water column were controlled by different source strengths and water masses. Using atmospheric concentrations measured in spring 2012 and seawater concentrations obtained from this study, the sea-to-air fluxes of these gases were estimated. Our results showed that the emissions of C2HCl3, C2Cl4, CHBr2Cl, and CHBr3 from the study area could account for 16.5%, 10.5%, 14.6%, and 3.5% of global oceanic emissions, respectively, indicating that the coastal shelf may contribute significantly to the global oceanic emissions of these gases.

Distributions and sea-to-air fluxes of volatile halocarbons in the East China Sea in early winter

The concentrations of six volatile halogenated organic compounds (VHOC)-chloroform (CHCl(3)), trichloroethylene (C(2)HCl(3)), tetrachloroethylene (C(2)Cl(4)), carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)), methylchloroform (CH(3)CCl(3)), and bromoform (CHBr(3)) in the East China Sea (ECS) in November and December 2010 were measured by a purge and trap system coupled to a gas chromatograph with an electron capture detection (ECD). Mean (range) concentrations of CHCl(3), C(2)HCl(3), C(2)Cl(4), CH(3)CCl(3), CCl(4) and CHBr(3) in the surface water were 16.90 (0.40-62.92), 16.27 (2.78-83.33), 2.40 (0.39-9.33), 32.29 (19.72-57.68), 1.70 (0.39-8.73) and 17.11 (4.33-34.46) pM, respectively. With the exception of C(2)HCl(3), the concentrations of other five kinds of VHOC generally exhibited a decreasing trend with distance from the coast, with the low values found in the open sea. The anthropogenic sources contributed to the elevated levels of CCl(4) and CH(3)CCl(3), whereas a combination of the anthropogenic and biogenic sources might be responsible for the elevated levels of CHCl(3), C(2)HCl(3), C(2)Cl(4) and CHBr(3). In the depth profiles, vertical distributions of the six VHOC in the water column were complicated, with the maxima occurring at 0-100 m depths. The mean sea-to-air fluxes of CHCl(3), C(2)HCl(3), C(2)Cl(4) and CHBr(3) were estimated to be 21.08, 29.94, 2.05 and 35.50 nmol m(-2) d(-1), respectively, indicating that the ECS was a source for the four VHOC in the atmosphere.

Synergistic metabolism of a broad range of C1 compounds in the marine methylotrophic bacterium HTCC2181

The 1.3 Mbp genome of HTCC2181, a member of the abundant OM43 clade of coastal bacterioplankton, suggested it is an obligate methylotroph. Preliminary experiments demonstrated that methanol and formaldehyde, but not other common C1 compounds such as methylamine, could support growth. Methanol concentrations in seawater are reportedly < 100 nM, suggesting either that the flux of methanol through plankton pools is very rapid, or that methanol may not be the primary growth substrate for HTCC2181. Therefore, we investigated the apparent extreme substrate range restriction of HTCC2181 in greater detail. Growth rate and maximum cell density of HTCC2181 increased with methanol concentration, yielding a K(s) value of 19 µM. In contrast, no growth was observed in the presence of the methylated (C1) compounds, methyl chloride, trimethylamine-oxide (TMAO) or dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) when they were the sole substrates. However, growth rate, maximum cell density and cellular ATP content were significantly enhanced when any of these methylated compounds were provided in the presence of a limiting concentration of methanol. These observations fit a model in which the metabolic intermediate formaldehyde is required for net carbon assimilation, allowing C1 substrates that do not produce a formaldehyde intermediate to be oxidized for energy, but not assimilated into biomass. Rates of methanol and TMAO oxidation and assimilation were measured with (14)C-radiolabelled compounds in cultures of HTCC2181 and seawater microbial communities collected off the Oregon coast. The results indicated that in nature as well as in culture, C1 substrates are partitioned between those that are mainly oxidized to produce energy and those that are assimilated. These findings indicate that the combined fluxes of C1 compounds in coastal systems are sufficient to support significant populations of obligate methyltrophs by a metabolic strategy that involves the synergistic metabolism of multiple C1 compounds.